Philippians 1:3-11 (NRSV)
Read Philippians 1:3-11 on biblegateway.com
Verse 3I thank my God every time I remember you, Verse 4constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, Verse 5because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. Verse 6I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.
Verse 7It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God's grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. Verse 8For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus.
Verse 9And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight Verse 10to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, Verse 11having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.
Devotion
Brendon’s parents explained to him that Advent was “getting ready” for Christmas. “I like getting ready,” said 5-year-old Brendon. “I wish I could spend my whole life getting ready.” Brendon’s dad felt an impulse to
correct his son, to tell him people can’t spend their whole lives just “getting ready,” but he bit his tongue. Instead he read aloud Paul’s letter to the Philippians: “And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God” (v. 9-11). Brendon’s dad no longer felt an impulse to correct his son. Instead he prayed,
Prayer
“Dear God, fill our lives with loving and learning as we spend our whole lives getting ready for your coming again. Amen.”