GetWisdom PaperturnSampler FINAL SinglePages - Flipbook - Page 111
LIVING IN AUTHENTICITY
.
PHILIPPIANS
47
3. One of the beautiful ways God’s Word can minister to us is by
giving us language for our prayers. Have you ever prayed names
into Scripture? Read verses 9 to 11 again, and ask God to bring
someone to mind. Fill their name into the blanks:
Lord Jesus, it is my prayer that ______________’s
love may abound more and more, with knowledge
and all discernment, so that he/she may approve
what is excellent, and so _______________ may be
pure and blameless for the day of Christ. Father, may
_______________ be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and
praise of God. Amen!19
4. In addition to giving us language for prayer, God’s Word can
equip us to affirm and encourage others directly. Consider
how someone might respond if you spoke those words over
them:
_______________, I know that your love will
abound more and more, with knowledge and all
discernment, so that you, _______________, will
approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless
for the day of Christ. _______________, you are filled
with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus
Christ, to the glory and praise of God!
Aren’t these the kinds of words that speak life into another person? I learned the importance of life-giving words from my parents.
When I was young and my brother Erik and I got caught being rude
to each other, my folks would make us say five kind things about
the other person as we apologized. I hated it. Erik hated it. But now
as an adult I know the purpose of this exercise. If we want to build
109