Last night I was reading Scripture and Paul's prayer for the Christians at Philippi spoke to me. Paul spoke a prayer that is for all believers everywhere.
"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God," (Philippians 1:9-11 NIV).
This paraphrased prayer is one I should say every day for myself: May my love grow in wisdom and understanding. May I discern what is honorable, right, and true. May I be holy and blameless until the day Christ returns. I pray that I can be filled with righteousness that comes only through Jesus Christ, my Savior. And may all glory and praise be to God. Amen.
I need this prayer because I am so far from being the person described within. I broke Paul's long sentence into phrases that I could reflect upon. I desire my love to be greater and more encompassing by having God's help with wisdom and understanding. I want my love to flow from my heart and to surround each person I meet. I want to have wisdom to discern the right, true and honorable things of life. I desire to be sinless and pure until Jesus returns. I want to be righteous through Jesus Christ alone. I want to give all my praise and glory to God above.
I'm asking a lot, I know, but if I just begin to work toward this great goal, I know God will lead me on. I'm a sinner and I start from being the opposite of Paul's description. It is only through Jesus Christ that I can become the perfect reflection of His life.
May this prayer speak to us today, and guide us to a closer walk with Jesus Christ.
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