And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight so that you can decide what is best, and thus be sincere 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)
Paul gave this prayer to those of the Philippian church, which was experiencing some issues between its members. He prayed that they would be filled with love, which teaches us that Christians must grow in love so that their lives give glory to God. Paul’s prayer shows us not only how we should be living, but also how we should be praying for other Christians. So often our prayers are devoid of solid or thoughtful content: “God bless the missionaries. God be with Aunt Suzy. God help Brother Bob.” But Paul’s prayer reflects a more profound way to lift others up to God. We can use this when praying for others but also when we need the knowledge that God can fill us with love.