“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11)

The early church was dedicated to prayer. From the beginning, the Disciples set the example as people of prayer. “When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” (Acts 1:13-14) It continued as the church grew; they were people devoted to prayer. In difficult times they prayed. When Peter and John were arrested, the church prayed. When Peter and John returned to the church, they rejoiced and prayed. As they prayed God filled them with His power to tell the people His message. “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:31)

It is to be the same for the church today. We must be people of prayer. Just as the early church was filled with power from God, we too, must have God’s power and it comes as we pray. Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35) In Paul’s prayer offered in the opening of Philippians, he prays for love to fill the church, which shows others that we are disciples of Jesus Christ. “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11)

John writes about the love that abounds. “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. . .. We love because he first loved us. . .. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” (1 John 4:11-12, 19-21) God’s presence in our lives is to be expressed as love for one another.

This love is to work in our lives as we come to know God and His insight into life. This was Paul’s desire: to know God and for the individuals who make up the church to know Him. “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:17-19) He also desired that each believer would have insight in how to live this life and bring honor to God. “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:9-10)

May we continue to pray for each other, that His love may be expressed to a world in need of Him. As we walk with the Living Word of God, may we love each other that the world may see His love in us.

In the Love of Jesus,

Michael Block