And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment (Philippians 1:9)
As Paul starts out his letter to the Christians in Philippi, it is filled with thanksgiving and encouragement to continue what they have been doing in furthering the Gospel. Paul had fond memories of his brothers and sisters in Philippi and he wanted them to know that he had been praying for them and that they held a special place in his heart. You probably have those types of Christian friends that you could relate to just like Paul. I am reminded of friends from seminary and missionary colleagues who have a passion and desire to share Christ with everyone they meet. When I see these people after a long period apart from them, we can spend hours sharing stories that testify to God’s work in our lives. These are people who inspire and encourage me to live out my Christian faith with more fervor, passion, and joy.
Yet, Paul doesn’t want these brothers and sisters to be stagnant in their faith. Instead, he wants to encourage them to keep moving forward and growing in their personal walk with Jesus. In verse 9, Paul starts this prayer by telling them that he is praying that their love for Christ and for others would continue to grow. The Christians in Philippi were rooted in love, but Paul wanted them to know that he was praying that they would increase and abound in love.
Paul’s prayer consisted of growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment. The best way to do this is to stay close to the Father and His word. There were so many distractions from God’s truth back in those days and Paul wanted the Christians in Philippi to know that he was praying for them as they battled the distractions that faced them. There are many distractions from God’s truth for us today. To prevent this, we need to go to God’s word, be in community and fellowship with other believers and pray and ask God for His wisdom and discernment to fill our lives. We can’t live the life God has planned for us on our own power. We need to stay close to God and keep growing in love and grace towards those around us.