Reading: “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment.”—Philippians 1:9

How different are the prayers of Scripture from those which we are accustomed to hear in religious gatherings. Let’s remember that these prayers are recorded to teach us how to pray.

Paul prays for increased affection: “that your love may abound yet more and more.” That Paul prays this supposes that they had love in the first instance. Yet Paul prays above all things, that in this grace, they may abound in love. He means it of their love to God and one another. It is the fulfillment of the law: loving God and our neighbor.

We cannot wish and pray for a better thing for our Christian friends than that they may abound in love. Nothing will promote friendship like this. It is better we pray for this than for riches, health, or pleasure. Even if we possess great amounts of the grace of love, we still need to abound more and more. The word abound means “bubbling up and flowing over as a spring of water.” A spring that flows naturally, spontaneously, and continually. Sometimes our efforts are so mechanical. Oh, that we might be a loving and lovely people!

Spiritual love can never be excessive. It is possible to run to excess in natural love, but not spiritual. God and Christ can never be loved too much, nor saints, as saints, though they may as men. Therefore let love abound ever so much to these objects. Lord, help me to love you and others with my whole heart, mind, and strength. Lord enlarge our hearts.

“Let a man believe in the goodness of Christ, the love of Christ, the promises of Christ, the joys and glories of heaven; let faith be the substance and evidence of these things and the result will be joy and peace.”—A. W Pink