Praying for Others: Paul’s Prayer for the Philippians

All right, look at Philippians chapter 1. We're finally back into Philippians. We've had a lot of guest speakers and special things going on and we're kind of we're back into it. Brother John introduced it about a month and a half ago, I think it was. And uh so I want to look at Philippians chapter 1 beginning with verse number three. Paul says, "I thank God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine, for you all, making requests with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ, even as is me for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, in as much as both in my bonds and defense of the and confirmation of the gospel, You are all partakers of my grace.

For God is my record. How greatly I long after you in all the all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge in all judgment. That you may prove things that are excellent that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and the praise of God. And so as we look at this thing, one of the things that strikes me here as I read this passage is that this is kind of the same thing that Paul says in every one of his books in the introduction.

In Romans 1:8, he says, "First, I thank my God uh through Jesus Christ for you all that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world." In 1 Corinthians 1:4, I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 1 and:es 15- 16, wherefore I also after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. In Colossians 1:3, we give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ praying always for you. All making mention of you in our prayers. In 2 Thessalonians 1:3, we are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as is meat, because that your faith grow uh that your faith growth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth.

And in Phileiman chapter 1:4, I thank my God making mention of thee always in my prayers. Uh Paul very clearly prayed for people and this is how he started his letter. says, "I want you to know that I am praying for you." And that was very important to Paul. It was very much a part of the habit of his life to pray and it was a habit of his life to pray for people as individuals as well as the churches. And he said this and and I stri what strikes me in all these verses the word always is used over and over again. Always, always, cease not. Always, always, always. This is something that he did not neglect to do.

In Luke chapter 18 and verse number one and the Bible says he spake a parable unto them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 17 to 18 the Bible says pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. I I wonder is there anybody that you could look at that you could say to them this in the church tonight? Is there people you could go to tonight and say, "I prayed for you in the last month." Now, Paul, it wasn't just in the last month. It was a regular prayer life. He had a lot of people to pray for.

He'd been a lot of places. So, he had a long list to pray through, but he was said, "I always pray for you." That doesn't mean he prayed for each individual every day, but he had a consistent prayer life where he was able to pray for those people and he could look him in the eye and say, "I prayed for you." And I wonder, could you do that? Do you pray always? Do you pray without ceasing? Is that a habit of your life to pray for other people, to pray for individuals and for ministries as well? And and and and it says it talks about doing it with joy. Uh in in Philippians 1 verse number four, always in every prayer of mine, for you all making requests with joy.

Later on in Philippians 4:4, he says, "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice." You see, prayer is not a burden that we have to do. It ought to be something that we enjoy doing. For many years, I did not pray for individuals very well. Uh, and it's hard to confess as a pastor, but that was just not a part of my life. And I determined at one point that God convicted me that I needed to pray for people. But I'm not a very disciplined, organized person if you've not figured that out yet. And so, I got an app called Prayer Mate, which has helped me to pray for others. And in prayer mate, you make lists up of different categories.

Like I have a list that says pregnancy. I have a list that says new people. I have a list that is uh people that uh are going through uh marriage problems. I have a list for people, you know, there's many different lists. I have 32 different lists. I have a list for my family and I have list for each ministry in the church. And what I love about Prayer Mate is that every day I can go on there and it will give me one name from every one of those lists. And generally every everybody in the church is in one of those lists. And so I will pray for you on an average probably about every seven to 10 days I will pray for you by name.

Um now if you are going through something in your life that's a challenge uh you go to my daily prayer list and and your name comes up every day. I can mark on prayermate to make sure your name comes up more regularly. And I tell people, you don't want to be on my daily prayer list because that means there's something bad going on in your life that you need prayer for, but to pray. Paul said, listen, I prayed for you. And folks, I will tell you, there's nothing that is more satisfying. There's nothing that is more rewarding. There's nothing that will bring you more joy than to be able to look someone in the eye and say, "I prayed for you yesterday.

I prayed for you on Monday. I prayed for you last week." to be able to say to them,"I prayed for you." And to know that you're doing that on a regular basis. And that's something that Paul did. He said, "I prayed for you." And it's not a lie because it's in scripture. You know, a lot of Christians, one of the the big lies of most Christians is is this, "I'll pray for you." And that's a lie because you never get around to praying for them. You never remember to pray for them. And but Paul wrote it in the scriptures in this inspired word of God. So it must be true that he prayed for these people and he prayed for them by name because he names people in every one of his books.

And so we need to pray for one another. And so what I want to look at is I want to look at what he prayed. Now as you look at verse number five, he says, "For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing that he which had begun a good work and you will perform it into the day of Jesus Christ." This was a burden in of Paul's heart. He didn't want to just see people saved. He wanted to see them grow in their relationship with Christ. He wanted to see what was begun to continue. And by the way, let me challenge you on that. When you lead someone to the Lord, uh don't just lead them to the Lord and leave them there.

You need to help them to grow. This is one of the reasons we're starting this onetoone fellowship to help each other grow in the Lord, to grow in their knowledge, that the work of Christ might continue in their lives. And then he goes on in verse number seven. It says, "Even as a meat for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart in so much as my as both in my bonds and defense in defense of and confirmation of the gospel, you are all partakers of my grace." Even though Paul was going through great persecution and he was being he was in jail and he was going through these trials, even through all that persecution and trials he was going through, he still prayed for others.

So often what happens is we get so caught up in our own trials and our own problems, we forget that there's other people that are also struggling and we forget to pray for them. And Paul said, "Listen, even in my bonds, uh you are and this was a church that that knew and understood that he was put in jail in Philippi." And that's how the church started. Later on in Philippians, he talks about how that time again and again and again they sent to his needs and and they were part of that process and they understood that challenge that he was going through. And then he goes on in verse 8, for God is my record.

How greatly how long have you all all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. And as I told you this morning, the bowels were the seed of emotion. He he emotionally cared about these people. He had a an emotional burden for them. not just an intellectual burden, but really genuinely cared about them and loved them. And then in verse 9, he says, "In this I pray." If you don't know what to pray for, the Bible gives us some great examples of prayer. Go through the Bible and look up all the prayers in the Bible and use them as a foundational base for your prayer. If Paul prayed this for the Philippians, it's something you can pray for individuals as well.

You can't go wrong. And so as you look there, he say, "Pray, I pray that your love may abound yet more and more." Matthew 22:36 says this, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, with all thy mind." This is the first and great commandment. The second is like unto it. "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Paul's prayer was listen that I want you to love God with all your heart and to love others with all your heart that your love may abound yet more and more.

We can never love enough. You know you can be a very loving person but you can do more. You can abound in that process. You can never have too much love. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and:es 9 and 10, it says, "But touching brotherly love, you need not that I write unto you, for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed you do it toward all the brethren which in all Macedonia. But we beseech you, brethren, you increase more and more." No matter how good you are in loving others, you can do better. Whether it's loving your spouse or loving your children or loving your your family and your friends or loving other church members, this church is known for its love.

Every time we have people leave, they talk about it in their testimony, how much they were loved in this church. When I meet people that were at Hana before back in the mainland, they talk about the love that they experienced in this church. But you know what? It's never enough. And Paul said, I want you to have more of that. I want you to abound in your love, your love for God. Look at Ephesians chapter 3 and look at verses 14- 21. Ephesians chapter 3 and beginning with verse number 14. Ephesians 3:14. For this cause I bow my knees unto the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.

Now again, he's there's another prayer that he grant you accorded riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit and the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that you being rooted and grounded in love may comprehend with all the saints what is the breath and the length and the depth and the height and then know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that workketh in us. Unto him be glory in the church by Jesus Christ throughout all ages, world without end.

Amen. Paul said, "I want your love to abound. I want you to know the love of God. I want you to know it the the limitless love of God. And I want you to learn how to love others as well." That was Paul's prayer. Listen, folks, you can't get wrong when you pray for somebody. You say, "God, help them to love you more. And God, help them to know your love more that their love may abound." Paul prayed that would have a love for God. He also prayed that way they would have a love for others. 1 Thessalonians chapter 3 and verse number 12. But I'm going to apologize. I'm going put a cough drop in my mouth here and I'm going to speak with it around it so I can keep talking here.

1 Thessalonians 3:12. and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love towards one another and toward all men even as we do towards you. Paul said, "Listen, I want you to learn to love more and more." And that's something that God would challenge us with as well. I can't get this one open here. Excuse me. John, I chose to turn turn this over to you. But God, it's Paul saying, "Listen, I want your love for each other to abound, to pray for husbands to love their wives, to pray for wives to love their husbands, to lay pray for parents to love their children, to pray for children to love their parents, to pray for Christians to love each other."

That's what God wants. And then love for family. Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it." Titus 2:4, "That they may teach the young woman, be sober, to love their husbands, and love their children." Paul said, "I want your love to abound." But go back to Philippians in chapter one and look at again verse number nine. Philippians chapter 1 and verse number nine. And I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge in all judgment. Paul said, I don't want you just to love. I want you to love in knowledge. I want to abound in knowledge.

Look at second Peter chapter 1. Second Peter chapter 1 and beginning with verse number three. Second Peter chapter 1 beginning verse number three. According to his divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that calls to glory and virtue whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of divine nature having escaped the corruptions in the world through lust. And besides this giving all diligence add your faith virtue and virtue knowledge. Paul said, "I want you to love with knowledge, to to enjoy the abundance of love that God has."

This phrase add to is the idea of like having a a great spread in front of you of all you can eat and you can just go up there and fill your plate with everything you want. And that's what Paul was praying for them. That their love might abound in knowledge that they can add to in greater proportions the knowledge of God and the knowledge of God's love to know that people to do people know that you love God in 1 Corinthians 8:3. But if a man love God the same is known of him. If I went to your co-workers at work, would they say that man, that woman loves God? If I went to your neighbors, would they say that's a person that loves God?

Does your family see that in you as well? Are you known for your love? Do people know that you love them? In John chapter 13:es 34 and 35, it says, "A new commandment I give unto you that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you're my disciples, that you have love one towards another." You see, he's praying that they would grow in their love and the knowledge of love that people would know that they love the Does your wife know you love her? Does your husband know you? Oh, yeah. They know I love them. No. Do they know it? Do they know it by your words?

Do they know it by your actions? Do your children know you love them? Do your Does your family know you love them? The people in church know you love them? See, it's going to be known. And do others know that you love your family? In Proverbs 31:28, her children rise up and call her blessed her husband also. And he praises her. See, do do you are you known for your love? He says increase in love and and judgment and more knowledge and and in judgment also. And the word judgment here means to perceive fully discernment. Hebrews 5:14, "But strong meat belong to them their full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

God wants us to grow in our love and judgment to have good judgment. You see, love is having good judgment. It's making the right choices. It's doing the right things. And Paul said, "I'm praying for you that you would grow in your love for God, that you would know his love and that he would know you would love him more and that you would love others and they would know that as well." But also he goes on to say in in Philippians chapter 1 and verse number 10 that you may approve things that are excellent. Prove things are excellent. Go over to Ephesians chapter 5 and look at verse number 10. Ephesians 5 and verse number 10.

The Bible says proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. He says, I want I'm praying for you that you'll prove things that are excellent. That you will prove what is acceptable to the Lord. And and and in the word excellent in Romans 12:es 1 and 2, it says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto him, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is a good and acceptable, perfect will of God." And he said, "Listen, I want you to learn what God wants in your life.

I'm praying for you to do the right things and to to to to make the right decisions. It also carries the idea of being sincere. Prove things that are excellent. It's the idea of being sincere. Look at Ephesians chapter 6 and look at verses 23 and 24. Ephesians chapter 6 and verse number 23 and 24. Peace be to you, brethren, and love with faith from God the Father and Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be with them all that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. He says, I want you to have that love, that sincere love without wax is the term. In the old in that time period when they would make a a a vase, uh if it had a defect in it, what they would do is they would fill it in with wax and then paint over it.

It would look perfectly fine. But then when the sun came out and heated or you put it on the stove, that wax would melt and show the defect. And so the idea, the phrase without wax was to be sincere. and God and and Paul says, "I'm praying for you that you would learn how to prove things are excellent. That you learn how to be sincere and right before God and without offense." Go to Acts chapter 23. Acts chapter 23. That's hot. Acts chapter 23 and verse number one. And Paul earnestly beholding the council said, "Men and brethren, I have lived a good conscience before God until this day." And look at verse number chapter 24 and verse number 16.

Chapter 24 and verse number 16. And here do I exercise myself to have always a conscious void of offense toward God and towards men. See, Paul was without offense. He said, "I don't want to be a stumbling block. I don't want to be a problem." And this was Paul's prayer. You know folks, we live in a very wicked world. And every day, every one of us faces challenges. And so when I pray for you, I'm praying that God will help you to do prove what is excellent, to do the right thing, to make the right choices in your life, and praying that God will help you to not be hiding things in your life, but to be open and honest and transparent.

Again, this this lessons we're doing, these Bible studies we're doing one-on-one. One of the purposes just to develop a a transparent, open relationship with other men and with other women where you're honest about what you're struggling with and praying that you would be sincere and without offense, that you would not be a stumbling block because we live in a challenging world today. I I feel sorry for our kids. They're facing things you and I never did. You know, back when I was a kid, you know, you had to go looking for pornography. Today, pornography comes looking for you. Back when I was a kid, there were drugs, but you had to go looking for them.

But now, drugs come looking for you. These things are all more available to the kids today and the challenges they're facing in couples and marriages, the challenges they're facing. And we need to pray for one another. And Paul said, "I'm praying. I'm praying for you. He says, I'm praying that you may approve things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ. And so that's the prayer you can pray for others as well. And then he goes on to say in verse number 11, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ of the glory and the praise of God.

In Galatians 5:es 22- 25, he lists the fruits of the spirit. the fruits of spirit, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Against such there are no law. And we should not only walk, we we should walk in that spirit of God. We should live in the spirit of God. And that's the challenge Paul is praying for them. God, help them to have joy. Help that person to have peace. Help them to have faith in God. And in different lives, you know, when I go through my prayer list, some of you, it's not a matter of of joy, but I'm looking and say, "God, that person needs peace right now because they're going through some really tough trials."

Or, "God, you need to give that person faith because they're they're facing tough decisions." Or, "Lord, you need to you need to give this person uh, you know, you know, whatever it is, just to pray for that." And Paul said, "I'm praying that you be filled with the fruits of righteousness, that you be filled with spirit." Ephesians 5:18, "But but um be not drunk with wine, whereas next be filled with the spirit and praying for God's spirit filled in your life." He says in verse 11, "Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and the praise of God, unto his glory."

Look at Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1 and verse number six. You know what brings glory to God? Ephesians chapter 1 and verse number six. To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Look down at verse number 12 through 14. That we should be the praise of his glory. Who first trusted in Christ in whom also you trusted. After that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. And who after that you believed, you were filled, you were uh sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance into the redemption of the person's possession under the praise of his glory.

What brings praise and glory to God? Your salvation, my salvation. When we trust Christ as our savior, you know, Bible talks about here that be that you trusted in him and have his righteousness in second Corinthians 5:21. For he made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. The praise comes when God saves us and changes us and transforms us. That's where the praise come. It's not by our righteousness. And it's not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to mercy. You see it's not hey you're such a great person. It's you have such a great God.

That's what give God glory. When people look at you and say what happened to you. What changed you? How do you do that? And it's not by my power and not by my might but by the power and the might of God. Are you confident in your salvation? Are you confident in your relationship with him? In Philippians chapter 1 and verse number six, he says this, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." That's what I'm so thankful for is I'm not confident me getting to heaven. I'm confident in God and his promise. I'm confident that what he did when he saved me as a 14-year-old boy is going to be completed when I die and I'll go to heaven.

That confidence to have confidence in our relationship with him. Sometimes what we need to pray for people is pray they get saved. In 1 Timothy chapter 2 verse one, I exhort therefore that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men. in verse number four, who will have all men to be saved and to come under knowledge of truth. Do you pray for people to be saved? Do you pray for them? You know, folks, when you pray for people to be saved and they get saved, what an amazing blessing that is. Over the years, I've seen people saved and I I could look at them say, "I've been praying for you to trust, Lord.

I've been praying for you to get saved." What an awesome blessing that is. your prayers. You know, it's not our prayers that save them. It's God. But God gives us the privilege and the opportunity to be a part of that to pray for people's salvation. And he says, "Listen, I'm I pray you be filled with the fruits of righteous which are by Jesus Christ on the glory and the praise of God." You know, we ought not just to vex our righteous soul. In first Peter, second Peter chapter 2 7 and8 delivered just Lot vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked for that righteous man dwelling among them and seeing here vex's righteous soul from day to day with the unlawful deeds.

Folks, we can't just be upset with the world and what they're doing. We've got to be different. And here's the thing I found. When I pray for you, I'm also praying for me because it's hard to pray for you and not think I need to do that as well. And Paul was praying for them to be righteous and to do what was right to the praise and the glory of God. Philippians chapter 4 and verse number eight. Philippians chapter 4. In verse number eight, the Bible says, "Finally, brother, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things."

Hebrews 13:15-16, the Bible says, "By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifice God is well pleased. It's taking time to praise God. Sometimes the prayer is not to pray for somebody, but praise God for that person. Sometimes the prayer is not to pray for them, but praise God for what he's doing in their lives. You know, sometimes that name pops up in my prayer mate and I say, "Praise God, they got saved." or praise God their marriage is doing better or praise God.

You see that was what Paul was saying. He said when you have a prayer life and Paul said I pray for you and what a privilege that is. So are you praying for others? Are you praying for each other in this room? Do you have a consistent prayer life? When you pray for them this is not a long prayer. This is a very short prayer. It's not the length of your prayer that makes a difference, but it's praying. And Paul said, "I'm going to pray for you." And this simple prayer, you could take this along with many other prayers in the Bible and pray it for people. And what would God do in their lives? And what would God do in your life as well?