"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 (to approve what is excellent) and may be pure 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." (NIV with Lutheran Study Bible)
The Contemporary English Version says: "I pray that your love will keep on growing and that you will fully know and understand how to make the right choices. Then you will still be pure and innocent when Christ returns. And until that day, Jesus Christ will keep you busy doing good deeds that bring glory and praise to God."
Father God, this is our prayer: that you fill us with your holiness, that our love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that we may be able to discern what is best; approving only what is excellent in Your sight; giving us the spirit of discernment; that we make the right choices. Lord, make us pure and blameless for today and the day Jesus comes back! Fill us with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ!
Holy Spirit, how do we get that holiness we long to have? Through Your Word and Sacraments! Fill us with the desire to dig into Your Word every single day, Lord. Your Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, Lord. Without it, we are fools! Get our attention ... the attention of each and every member of our church council, ministry leader, and member! Lord, abide in us, draw us near to you. Put that unquenchable desire in our hearts so that we desire more of You just as a child desires candy or a baby craves milk!
Help us trust You above anything else, Father. Help us climb out of this valley that we've been caught in for some time now. Reach down and pluck us out and shake us so that we see what is so obvious ... that You love us and want the best for us. Help us trust You in that. Help us to seek Your Kingdom first, knowing that everything else will fall in place and be provided for us ... just as You've promised.
Father, forgive us when we put our trust in our own strategy more than your promises, and help us to focus all the more clearly on living in Your Word and Sacraments. We need you, Lord. Help us focus completely on You.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
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