An apostolic prayer:
“And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing…” – Philippians 1:9, CSB
“standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the truth of the gospel, not being frightened in any way by your opponents.” – Philippians 1:27,28, CSB
Unity on a soul level
When love keeps growing, its fruit is… what? What grows alongside love? What does it produce? One of the many outcomes of love is strength. Love empowers unity on a soul level, which enables us to stand together, with one another, and for one another. In terms of the gospel, there are very real opponents, and it could be easy to become overwhelmed, timid, or fearful on our own. But… we are not on our own! We are united with Christ and with one another, not called to stand alone but standing firm in the love of God together. And so Paul prays that our love will keep on growing. Growing, how? In knowledge and in every kind of discernment.
True love is not blind
Far from burying our heads in the sand, we are called to an informed love, loving wisely rather than blindly. God invites us to know Him deeply and truly, and Paul is confident that the more we know God the more we will love Him. He’s also confident that the more we grow in Him, the more we will grow in our love for one another. And it’s together that we will best contend for the faith of the gospel.
Think:
God invites us and calls us to a growing love, a love that grows in knowledge, discernment, and fruitfulness. (Philippians 1:9-11 says even more about this.) Is there something you’ve learned – or relearned – about God in recent history that has caused you to love Him more? Is there something you’ve discovered – or rediscovered – about God recently that is helping you love people more?
The more we really get to know people, the more we tend to see little flaws – and maybe big ones! – we may not have noticed at first. If we’re not careful, our increasing knowledge about people can drive a wedge between us. But God wants our love to keep growing as we get to know people! Ask God to grow and strengthen your love for those with whom He has called you to stand.
What brothers and sisters in Christ are you standing with in your journey of faith? Do they know you are standing with them? How will you intentionally communicate and connect with them this week?
Prayer:
“Lord, thank You once again for Your great love for me and for Your people. As You continue flooding and fueling my heart with Your Spirit, Your love, and the truth of the gospel, I pray - and I know! - that my own love will keep on growing! As You fill me, may Your love for Your church and for the world draw my heart toward my brothers and sisters in Christ, even in their imperfections. I agree with Your desire to unify and strengthen us in love together for Your purpose!”