In His Name Devotionals
PRAY FOR GODLINESS
In His Name Devotionals
PRAY FOR GODLINESS
“This I pray...” (Philippians 1:9)
The passage in Philippians 1:9-11 is a prayer. Typically, Paul’s prayers reflected his concern that his readers mature spiritually. That is impossible without prayer, because spiritual growth depends on the Holy Spirit’s power, which is tapped through prayer.
Prayer is so vital that Jesus instructed His disciples to pray “at all times” (Luke 18:10). Paul commands Christians to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Peter said Christians should be “of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer” (1 Peter 4:7).
Holy Scripture gives many other commands to pray, but the true test of your spirituality is your compulsion to pray, not simply your obedience to commands. As a Christian you exist in a spiritual real in which prayer is as natural as breathing is in the natural realm. Just as atmospheric pressure exerts force on your lungs, compelling you to breathe, so a spiritual environment compels you to pray. Resisting either brings devastating results.
The more you see life through God’s eyes, the more you are driven to pray. In that sense your prayers reveal the level of your spiritual maturity. Paul prayed with urgency day and night because he shared God’s love for His people and His concern for their spiritual maturity.
Examine your own prayers. Do you pray from a sense of duty, or are you compelled to pray? Do you pray infrequently or briefly? Do your prayers center on your own needs or the needs of others? Do you pray for the spiritual maturity of others? These important questions indicate the level of your spiritual maturity and give guidelines for making any needed changes in your pattern of prayer.
