Paul’s Prayer for the Philippians

The past two posts I have asked you to consider what problems your church has. I won’t ask the questions again but I do want to launch from there. I do not mean to be negative, but lets be real: How many Sunday dinners have been meat, potatoes, and a side of deacon so-and so, and a third course of sister Margret (every church has one). Or its a late night snack after a business meeting and between bites of ice cream slander flies out of your mouth about those who had a differing opinion?

I say that because I know. Been there. Done that.

And you know what…I bet much of your concern is legitimate. The concern and disagreement is not necessarily the sinful part, it’s how we often respond. Let’s consider Paul’s counsel which is foundational to much of what we will see in the coming weeks.

…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

I firmly believe that God has many purposes for points of division in the church, Paul even addresses that head on to the Corinthians, yet here in our study I believe it should push us to pray.

Let me throw out kind of a “duh” scenario: When you are reminded of that frustrating situation at church, which will accomplish more: a) complaining about it; OR b) praying about it? Duh, the answer is B. I don’t think anyone will argue with that, yet we will also agree that it is easier said than done. True. But why not take steps to become more God honoring with how we use our energy when we are concerned.

Introduction

The passage below is not directly tied to the issue of how we respond to trouble in the church, but it does give us a positive avenue to take on behalf of our church. We should wait until there is trouble and then pray, although when trouble arises let us be prayerful. First though, let’s be proactive. Make it a part of your prayer life to actively pray for you home church. Philippians 1:9-11 is a great guide to pray for your church.

Philippians 1:9-11

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more,

Philippians 1:9

Paul’s love for the church at Philippi is seen first in his act of praying for them, and second, along with that, his prayer that their own love would abound.

Love is the starting point of his prayer. It is the hub of the wheel and root of the tree of Christian living. Just as we see from Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 where he speaks of the supremacy of love, here that idea is echoed in a prayer where it is the first item of petition.

When did you last pray for there to be more biblical love among the brethren of your church? What does that look like? It is prayer and petition for believers to grow in kindness and patience; Paul names these in 1 Corinthians 13:4. Kindness is love being proactive toward others, patience is reactive love toward the unloving, unlovely, and unlovable.

Yet what is striking is that Paul doesn’t box in the prayer with particulars about who or what is to be loved. He simply prays that their capacity to love would abound. In that light a developing love for God may be rightly petitioned, and indeed it should be.

Do you pray that the Bible Studies, the Sunday worship, times of casual fellowship, individual devotions, worship songs in the car, phone calls with believers during the week, and any other way we experience God’s grace might be used by the Spirit to deepen our love for God. I need more love toward Jesus. Do you? Do you have a brother or sister in Christ whom you can pray for that their love for God would abound? Will you pray for your church as a whole in this way?

…with knowledge and all discernment,

Philippians 1:9

Paul now directs his prayer to how this happens. Yes, it is an answer to prayer yet not void of human action. Paul prays for love as seen above, yet specifically resulting from a knowledge of and discernment toward the truth of the gospel as seen in scripture.

Paul shows that prayer for deeper love needs to be complimented by a knowledge of the word of God and intention to be discerning or thoughtful about what we read. Paul would show us elsewhere how vital it is to know the Word as a means to our love developing.

You can pray that your church would be attentive and thoughtful to the word this Sunday. Pray for the pastors and teachers of your church to be both familiar with and thoughtful toward their sermons and lesson.

Plead with our Father to draw the mind’s eye of the people to listen well as you assemble this Sunday. By knowledge and discernment may God grow the love of his people.

…so that you may approve what is excellent,

Philippians 1:10

This is goal number one in Paul’s mind, that is the first result of his prayer. To approve what is excellent is the default result of a life in which there is discernment as seen above. Charles Spurgeon gave a good working definition of discernment which assists us well in understanding this phrase. Spurgeon wrote:

That last phrase not only helps us think through what discernment is but also for this portion of Philippians 1:10, it helps us understand what it means to “approve what is excellent.” Approving what is excellent is choosing the better option over the good option.

• It is me choosing to help my neighbor instead of reading that christian living book.
• Rescheduling a church meeting because my daughter needs me.
• Writing a letter of encouragement to a discouraged brother instead of writing in my journal for only my benefit.
• It is examining the two, three, or four options before me…all of which are moral and wholesome and deciding which one is the best: for the brethren, in service to Jesus, for the churches benefit, most reflective of God’s Kingdom principles.

We might even look to Paul’s words which arise later in Philippians:

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:3-4

A sure way to take a step in the direction of doing what “is excellent” is to consider which of your options most serves God by putting others first.

…and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

Philippians 1:10

Result number two comes from the work of God in developing our love and sharping our discernment so that our conduct might be “pure and blameless.” As a deacon from my church often says, “Christ desires a pure church.” The work of God is made evident as the churches purity and blamelessness shines forth. The Spirit works amid the church to make her devoted and true to her Lord. He leads to make her blameless in her conduct as the bride of Christ.

Remember above, it is the Spirit who give us discernment and so equips us to pursue purity, while yet he himself is in the midst of Christ’s church, corporately and individually, bringing us further up and further into such blameless conduct.

…filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:11

Finally, Christian hope. I say hope because we must remember that this prayer is for a church. Paul is petitioning God on behalf of a body of believers. This is not Paul’s prayer for Timothy or Titus or any one believer, but for a church. And to that end it is a prayer for the church in its entirety.

So then, the hope for my church and yours, and more importantly the whole church until “the day of Christ” is that it is Christ’s will (“through Jesus Christ”) that the church be full of the fruit of righteousness. Not only is it the will of God as revealed in scripture (see above) that the church be “pure and blameless”, but that she be full of the fruit of righteousness. It is the will of God that his church(s) not only be spotless and innocent amid the toils and tribulations of the world, but righteous: actively doing good.

Conclusion:

The prayers of scripture should always be close at hand to use in our own prayers. But more specifically to being an active part of a local church is the use of the apostles’ prayers for the church of Jesus.

Make it a point in your week to pray for your church to be a body that is discerning and so approving what is excellent. Maybe it is choosing between supporting missionary A and missionary B; or how to use particular funds in a building project; or to either build a bigger building or break off and plant a separate church. Neither is wrong, but maybe one is the more excellent choice.

Petition our Father to make the church you attend a billboard of purity (devotion to God), blamelessness (innocence), and full of righteousness (doing good). Pray that diligently, urgently, and confidently for if you are praying along with Paul, God will surely hear. He will hear for Paul prayed it all for the glory of God: “filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.”

Pray for these things for God’s glory, that he be pleased with your church as you abound in love toward Christ and the brethren.