Day 20 - 21 Days of Prayer Devotional

21 Days of Prayer DAY 20 - Philippians 1:9-11 9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation-the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ-for this will bring much glory and praise to God. CONSIDER THE CONTEXT Paul founded the Church at Philippi on one of his missionary trips around the region. Paul's letter to Philippi is one that was probably written as a way to just let them know how he had been doing since being imprisoned. In this letter, however, there are many powerful spiritual truths that just spill out of Paul. In today's prayer we focus on love. When Paul was named Saul he served the God of Israel. It's the same God we Christians serve - God the Father. Sadly, the issue of love hasn't been totally understood by the Jews because of their not being able to see Christ was the Messiah. On the road to Damascus, Paul was introduced to Jesus in a Heavenly vision. Paul was so overwhelmed with what real love looks like that he simply had to follow this Christ he felt he was destined to destroy. In today's prayer we see the power of a prayer for love. The results of love - God given love - is something that cannot be argued with. Paul wanted the Philippians, whom he loved so much, to experience more and more of the love God has for them. God's love is something that we can never pray too much for. CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS What really matters - that's one of the statements Paul makes in his prayer. You see Paul had learned that the years of being zealous for a God he really didn't know wasn't worth a thing because it was devoid of love. The fruit of our Salvation that Paul talks about in his prayer is Love. God's love to us and our love, fueled by God, to others. Paul loved the people in the Church of Philippi. But, Paul realized that God's love was so much better for them. Although Paul longed to be with the Church, he realized that the better thing for the Philippians was to ask God to shower them with the kind of life changing love that Paul had experienced on that dusty road to Damascus. CONSIDER THE PRAYER I love you Lord. That takes on an entirely different meaning after reading Paul's prayer to the Philippians. Your love is a real game changer. It is the kind of thing that can actually set us free, make us useful in your Kingdom building process and bring us to a place of completeness that nothing else can in this world. Thank you for your love. Thank you that Coastline wants to be a part of introducing that love to others. Help my Church to show me how I can be a part of bringing that love into my circle of influence. Bless us with more and more of your love and let that love overflow into the world around us. Amen