Phil 1:8-11

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and in all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

It always fascinates me to read what the apostle Paul actually prays for. Whilst writing this letter to the Phillipians, I believe Paul was actually in prison. There could be a 101 things he could be pleading to God for, e.g. to get out of prison, for the guards to be nice to him, for a nice hot shower (I'm assuming the toilet must have been pretty primitive), for yummy home-cooked food... I reckon that's what I'd be asking for! And yet Paul's thoughts are on the Phillipians.

Let's pause and think about it. Is Paul just from another planet OR is it possible that we could, as human beings, be that selfless?

I remember a season when I really wondered about this. Maybe I'm just "not the type" to care. It's not that I don't want to pray sometimes, I reckon it's that it doesn't even occur to me to pray for others because I'm so preoccupied with myself! Not only that, how often do I promise to pray for someone, and only remember to pray once! And then even in my prayers, aren't they usually just one-liners (e.g. God please bless her. Amen). How does Paul come up with all these great prayers that mean so much? And how is it possible that he sincerely wants to pray for others when he himself is in prison!

Sometimes when we open our eyes and see how truly selfish we are, it is pretty demoralising. But you know what? It isn't a surprise to God (that we are selfish, I mean). And it is quite comforting to know that God loves and believes in us anyway. And as we focus on loving Him and learning to love what He loves, we will find ourselves being transformed into His image.

Now as I look back, I know I have grown to care more for people. I know it is not a feeling I conjure up myself. It is not out of guilt that I force myself to care. God can change our hearts. It is possible to start praying prayers like Paul's - AND really mean it too!