“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more
in knowledge and depth of insight…”
Philippians 1:9-11
Paul’s prayer for the Philippians in the first century is a great one for us to pray over our prodigals in the 21st century. The topic of his prayer is love.
Ahhh ……. love. The theme of the songs we love to sing, the rudder that steers our ship, and the glue that keeps us connected to others.
But what is love exactly? A feeling? A commitment? A choice?
When a teenager falls in love, we deem it “puppy love,” implying it will fade with time. We talk about being lovesick – suggesting an inability to function or behave normally. Love has been deemed mysterious, unpredictable, and disconcerting. The Greeks needed more than one word to describe what English speakers sum up simply as “love”: phileo, eros, agape.
As we struggle to understand, define, and live out love, perhaps Paul can help. His prayer for the Philippians in chapter one of the book that bears their name is a powerful prompt for us to pray over our prodigals (and ourselves), as it simultaneously teaches us much about prayer as it sheds light on the topic of love.
Please take a moment to read this passage slowly and thoughtfully:
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.
Paul’s prayer offers great insight into the subject of love then and now. Clearly, it is more than a feeling and has purpose beyond ourselves.
Love is not static – it is growing, expanding, and prompts action and change.
When love leads out, we know what is right (“discern what is best”) and we do what is right (“pure and blameless”). Knowing what is right and then following through by doing what is right is what I call “smart love.“ The resulting choices lead to purity and righteousness. As we continue to make those decisions, a lifestyle develops. Love “abounds more and more.” And the epitome of it all: God is glorified.
Join with me in praying for your prodigal:
God Almighty, please draw my prodigal back to the path of “smart love.” He/she has wandered away pursuing a perception of love that really isn’t love at all. Let this precious one – created in Your image and cherished by You – come to his/her senses today. Stir up his/her heart with a holy discontent. I pray life would feel boring, meaningless, and lacking as he/she looks around. And in that moment, may he/she look up and look to You. Rekindle that spark of faith. Draw this one to You! I pray the one I love would run back to You and that You would fill his/her heart with a hunger for love that is discerning. May that love grow and flourish to prompt him/her to know what is right and follow through in doing what is right. May love for you grow daily, abound more and more, produce righteousness, and bring You glory and praise!
In the scripture passage for this week’s devotional video, Paul exhorts the Galatians to see that by embracing law-keeping they are forfeiting their identity as sons and choosing instead to live as slaves. How do we do the same all these years later? Keeping the law (legalism) brings insecurity as we continually strive to be good enough. But a child of God can live as His beloved child – fully known and also fully loved.
We invite you to watch and listen to this week’s lecture from Laura’s Bible study, and then ask God to show you where you may be vulnerable to SELF-righteousness … rather than enjoying the peace and joy of righteousness rooted in faith.
