This is my Prayer!

                                    

                                   

Dear Friends before I flinch with my contemplation about this post, I would like to set forth few questions to you. Ponder over these questions and scrutinize about your motives.

1. Are you praying regularly?

2. If so, what is the motive of your Prayers?

3. Does your Prayer points include the following - Praying for Family needs, Financial Situations, Protection, Praying for a House to own for yourself, Praying for a child, Praying for Wife or Husbands salvation, Praying for marriage, Praying for Husband’s Job, Praying for Children’s Education, Praying for Health, Praying for ministry, Praying for Visa’s to get through, Praying for friends ?

Certainly many of our Prayers will encompass few or some of the prayers points from the above list. Well it’s not a bad idea to pray over these things. But would like to insist that do not use Prayer as a rescue operation rather than as ongoing life support.

Recently God revealed how my Prayer should be through Paul’s writing. As Part of Monthly goals I’m reading the book of Philippians. Don’t be surprised that I ‘m working on Monthly Goals  J . Recently I’m learning many things in the areas which I was ignorant. Like everyone else I too have the desire to work on the resolutions which I take every year. But I was failing and this Year I could improve on, because of the ideas given by my friend and truly, she is the greatest blessing to me at the appointed time J Given link below for your improvement areas on the resolutions and it will be very helpful for you too.! http://sheensteve.wordpress.com/category/goals/

When I read Paul’s letter to the people of Philippi, he prayed for the people of Philippians. This Prayer throws an insight about my daily prayer time with God. I and my husband together memorized this verse with actions, like how we teach a kid with actions, so as not to forget things easily. J

Read these verse carefully and slowly,

⁹ And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰ so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, ¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1: 9 – 11.

There are five important requests found in this Prayer,

1.     Abound more in Love.

2.     Grow in knowledge and depth of Insight.

3.     Discernment of Good and Bad.

4.     Purity and blameless when the day of Christ.

5.     Filled with the Fruits of righteousness.

The order which Paul put forth has a meaning and intention to it.

Firstly he prays for the abundance of Love. Love for whom? Of all the commandments, the most important which Jesus says, ³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. ³¹ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12: 30, 31.

Secondly he prays about abundance in knowledge and depth of Insight. The knowledge comes from God’s word. A growing love for God is seen in one’s fellowship with God (Psa. 63:1-8), in obedience to God’s law (John 14:21).Reading and meditating the word of GOD will help us to grow in knowledge and wisdom.

Thirdly he prays for discernment. Most people know that discerning what is good and what is bad or what is best is not always easy, therefore much wisdom and insight is needed that comes by reading the word of GOD. Such wisdom comes from asking for it in prayer -Read James 1:5; Proverbs 2:1-9

Paul’s fourth request is tightly tied with the last request. He prays that the believer will be “sincere and blameless until the day of Christ” (v 10 b). Paul prays that they will be found pure when Jesus returns filled with the fruits of righteousness.

Fifth request is to be filled with the fruits of righteousness. What is righteousness? It is an attribute that implies that a person's actions are justified, and can have the connotation that the person has been "judged" or "reckoned" as leading a life that is pleasing to God. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23.

When we en graft God’s word upon our hearts, "the fruit of the Spirit" will be seen within us. The Spirit will produce these qualities within us by the word He has inspired.

So the ultimate conclusion for Paul’s prayer to be answered is by reading the word of GOD J. God will give us the grace to understand the truth by having a closer walk with HIM through Prayer and meditation of HIS word. Finally I would like to remind you of the verse in Psalms 1: 2 – Blessed is the one – who meditates on his law day and night. When we look upon HIM for this revelation all the prayer points which you were praying (Refer above – Question 3) will be taken care by HIM. God Bless!

In Christ Alone

Justina Stephen