And this I pray, that your love may abound
yet more and more in knowledge and in all
judgment.
—Philippians 1:9
Many times when praying for Christians we say, "God bless
Sister So-and-so" and "God bless Brother So-and-so," yet we
don't find where Paul ever prayed that way. That kind of praying
really doesn't do much good; it only salves our conscience and
makes us feel we've prayed.
Paul was specific when he said, "I pray, that your love may
abound more and more." That's a good way to pray for
Christians, isn't it? Paul is praying for believers.
Notice Colossians1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do
not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might
be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom
and spiritual understanding.
This is Paul's prayer for the Church at Colosse. If you are
filled with the knowledge of His Will, then you're going to know
what all these blessings are with which the Father has blessed
you.
In Ephesians 1:3, Paul prayed: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ.
That means He already has provided everything we need—
all the blessings we will ever need. They are all wrapped up in
Jesus.
"God bless So-and-so" would cause God to say, "I
can't answer that prayer. I've already done that, but they don't
know it." Instead of Paul's saying, "God bless them," he said,
"[My] desire [is] that ye might be filled with the knowledge of
his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding." That would
be a good way to pray for Christians.
That's what most
Christians need, isn't it?
Paul wrote this prayer under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit. Since it's Spirit given, it would be a good prayer for you
to pray for yourself. You can say, "Lord, I'm going to pray this
prayer for myself. It's my desire and prayer that I might be filled
with the knowledge of your will in all wisdom and spiritual
understanding."
I think these prayers Paul prayed for the Christian Church
will give us insight on how to pray for other believers as well.
For example, Paul wrote in Second Thessalonians 1:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our
God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil
all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of
faith with power: that the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him,
according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
I particularly like where Paul said, "fulfil all the good
pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power."
(That's what God wants fulfilled in us.) I also like the phrase,
"that the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you."
Whoever thought of praying for a whole church that the Name of
the Lord Jesus Christ might be glorified in them? Are you
praying that way?
This is a clue for us. I'm convinced we need to
be specific in our praying one for another.
Paul was very specific and very definite in his praying.
...To be continued
FFT: All you need is already provided. pray aright to possess.
ACTION POINT: Ask and you shall receive; don't ask amiss ask aright!
INTERACTIVE SESSION: Have you discover this mystery of prevailing prayer? (share your comment below)
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