About a month ago I sat down with a friend/mentor of mine and we caught up on what ways God was growing us, what he was challenging us with. We talked of the books we were reading and the passages we are studying this summer. She is going through Philippians (very slowly, as she is a genius when it comes to the Word). She made, what may seem to be, a simple statement ... when I want someone to have knowledge and discernment, I pray for them to have wisdom and a discerning conviction, but when she dwelt in Philippians 1 she saw that the root of the discernment piece is to pray for a core of holy love, true love, for God's love and in that God pours out truth and discernment.
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 ... (TNIV)
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may (Z)approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until (AA)the day of Christ ... (NASB)
My prayer for you is that you may have still more love - a love that is full of knowledge and wise insight. I want you to be able always to recognize the highest and the best, and to live sincere and blameless lives until the day of Jesus Christ ... (JBP)
Philippians 1:9-10
It is incredible to redirect thoughts and prayers to the entirety of a person's actions, as we pray for conviction and truth in their walk of life. And since the core of our actions should be love, I guess we should follow Paul's example and our prayers for others discernment should simply be that of Philippians 1!
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