Philippians 1:9-11

New American Standard Version

9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; 11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Pastor’s Paraphrase

          Here is what I pray for you – that you may be filled and overflowing with love that is more than just feeling or emotion. I pray that your love will be rooted in an ever deepening understanding of spiritual truth and a supernatural ability to discern what is wise and right.

          I pray this for you so that you will be able to make the right decisions – the ones that would please our Lord – in each and every situation so that, when He returns, He will find your hearts to be pure and your record unblemished. I pray that the fruit of the Holy Spirit would grow from your lives because you are rooted in the Lord Jesus Christ and that your lives would always be such that He would receive praise and glory because of you.

 “How does this help me become more like Him?”

          Our lives are, to a great degree, the product of the decisions that we make.  We face hundreds of decisions every day.  Many of them are trivial and of little real consequence.  Some of them can change the very course of our lives.  For the Christian, the right to make the major decisions of our life on our own was surrendered the day we came to the foot of the cross.  When we gave our life to Christ, we laid down the right to determine the course of our lives on our own.  We exchanged the challenge of trying to make the best decisions we could make for seeking to understand what God’s will and plan for our life in every decision would be.

          To make the decisions that our Master would have us to make at any given point in our lives, two essential things are needed – an understanding of Biblical truth and its practical application to life situations and a relationship with the Holy Spirit that enables us to hear His voice and understand His direction.  God leads us to make the right decisions in our lives by impacting both our minds and our hearts.  Some things He speaks clearly with His Word.  Other things He speaks softly to the innermost places of our hearts as we wait on Him and listen for Him.  He’s never spoken to me in an audible voice but when I am yielded to Him and willing to wait for His direction, He leads me in a way that I know is from Him.

          I don’t know what significant decisions you are facing at this juncture of your spiritual pilgrimage but I encourage you to fill your mind with Scripture and godly counsel as you seek the right path.  Then I challenge you to surrender your will to Him and then listen carefully to your heart.  He will never lead you contrary to Scripture but He will move you in ways that will be in harmony with His truth.  As you face life’s decisions, I pray for you both wisdom and discernment – to know His truth in your mind and His will in your heart.

“How should I pray for Him to change my life?”

Ask the Lord to continually deepen your understanding of His Word and how it applies to your life.  Pray that He would break down any barriers of resistance in your heart to His plan and direction for your life.  Pray for the ability to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit when He speaks to your heart to give you direction.

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