Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more...

One of the most edifying studies is on the prayers of the apostle Paul for the various congregations. What he doesn’t pray is just as instructive as what he does pray. A careful examination of his prayers clearly reveals the emphasis on the things of the spirit. He wanted them to understand that they were blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3). He prayed that they would be filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19). His prayers were along the lines of the words of Jesus to “seek ye first the kingdom of God”. (Matthew 6:33)

Part of his prayer for the church in Philippi was that they would abound in love for one another (Philippians 1:9). The Bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). But it also tells us that faith works by love (Galatians 5:6). Loving God and one another sums up all the commandments of God (Matthew 22:36-40). This love that Jesus and Paul speak of is a verb. It’s not a nice feeling, and certainly much more than good intentions. This love for one another is demonstrated by Jesus, defined in 1 Corinthians 13, and explained in 1 John 3 and James 2.

Beloved, when we stop loving one another, we stop growing. When we stop loving one another, the Spirit of God is quenched. My prayer for our church family is that we would abound in our love for Jesus and one another. Will you join me in that prayer? Are you willing to be a part of the answer?