The apostle Paul showed his heart in his letter to the Philippians. He opened his letter with a prayer that begins with gratitude and then moves to petition. His prayer is the prayer of a pastor.
My Prayer for You. Sermon by James E. Carter
Text: “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy. . . . And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment” (Phil. 1:3–4, 9).
Scripture Reading: Philippians 1:3–11
Introduction
Intercessory prayer for another is one of the highest Christian services possible. First Samuel 12 records the farewell speech of the old prophet Samuel to the people of Israel, in which he said, “God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you” (v. 23).
He had been both a prophet and a judge, but the people had now chosen a king. As Samuel was stepping down, he showed his continued concern for them.
The apostle Paul showed this to be his heart also in his letter to the Philippians. He opened his letter with a prayer that begins with gratitude and then moves to petition. His prayer is the prayer of a pastor. The pastoral heart is displayed when a pastor prays for his or her people.
I. My prayer for you is an abundance of love.
In verse 9 Paul prayed that the Philippians’ love “may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment.” It is a picture of the tides of the sea that just keep rolling in, or of a cup that is poured full and yet the pouring doesn’t cease. It is much like the old French woman who had spent her life in the slums of Paris.
When she went to the seashore for the first time in her life and saw the waves rolling in one after another without end, she ran down to the beach and fell to her knees, scooping up the water and exclaiming, “Thank God for something of which there is enough.”
There is enough love; we just need to develop it. Love ought never to be limited in scope, amount, or direction. Notice the kind of love Paul was writing about.
A. Love with knowledge. Love without knowledge can be dangerous. My father was a feed merchant. In past years at Eastertime, feed and seed stores sold colored baby chicks. One year my father gave each of my two boys a brightly colored Easter chick.
They loved those little chicks. In fact, one son loved his chick, petted it, and squeezed it so much that by evening the chick had died. That was love without knowing. The love for which we pray is with knowledge.
B. Love with discernment. Love must use good judgment.
II. My prayer for you is for growth in character.
A. Growth in character includes the ability to tell right from wrong. Paul continued by adding in verse 10, “that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.” The word “approve” here is from the Greek word that is used of testing metals to see if they are pure. Growth in character calls for a sense of ethical sensitivity.
B. Growth in character will also include purity of heart. There is definitely a place in today’s world for the person who is pure in heart and life and character. “Sincere” actually means “tested by the sun.” And the English word comes from the French through Latin.
It means sans cere, without wax, and came from the practice of Roman sculptors and art dealers of filling in bad places in the art with wax. When the artwork was set out in the courtyards of noble Roman homes, the sun would cause the wax to melt and run.
Thus, people requested that their sculpture be sold sans cere, without wax. That is what God demands of us. Growth in character includes a blameless life.
III. My prayer for you is for development in grace.
The way to development is to grow in grace: “being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ” (v. 11). The goal of development is given: “unto the glory and praise of God” (v. 11). The Westminster Catechism says that the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy his presence forever. How far that is from the goal that we often set for ourselves! But how essential it is.
There is a story of an Indian sage who had identical pictures at each end of the hall. At least that is the way it looked. On closer inspection, it could be seen that on one end was the picture; on the other end was a mirror that accurately reflected the others. Reflecting the life of Christ should be the goal for Christians.
Conclusion
My prayer for you is for an abundance of love, for growth of character, and for development in grace. How are you doing in these essential things?