S – Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 4:6–7 CSB

O – We should not worry about things.  Instead, we should pray and make our requests known to God in gratitude.  There is a peace which we cannot comprehend will guard our soul and our intellect.

Commentary:

Which passes all understanding (ἡ ὑπερέχουσα πάντα νοῦν). Either, which passes all power of comprehension, compare Eph. 3:20; or, better, which surpasses every (human) reason

Word Studies in the New Testament

A – It is healthy to think through and ponder things.  It is unhealthy to worry, fret and build anxiety in our lives.  We serve an unlimited God – why wouldn’t we invite him into our fears and concerns?   The prize is peace.  In the worst situations, we can have peace.  We have to receive it through faith and trust in Him.

R – Lord, a lot is going on in our lives.  I invite your Holy Spirit to be a part of all of it.  The good and the challenging.  In making our requests known to you, we also invite your peace to come in our lives.  Let us walk in that peace in all that we encounter today.

S – Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, ¹⁴ I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus

 Philippians 3:13–14 CSB

O – We need to realize the race is a journey not a sprint. We can learn from the past but not dwell on it.  The next step in the journey is before us. We must pursue it as a prized goal.

A – Such a great picture of our relationship with Christ.  Although rest and reflection are vital parts, the action of growing forward is predominant if we are to complete the race well. “Forget” is challenging because our past either hinders us or it teaches us.  “Reaching” requires going to a place you’ve never been.  

R – Lord, I invite the Holy Spirit to be part of my “race” today.  Give me the courage to dig deeper into all the gifts and talents you gave me to run hard.  Let my mind draw wisdom from my past and set my attitude in attaining new ground.  Doing your will is my goal today!

S – Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. 

And when he had come as a man, ⁸ he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—

even to death on a cross.

 Philippians 2:7–8 CSB

O – Jesus demonstrated humility and the principle of serving by taking on all aspects of being human.  He showed more humility by modeling perfect obedience to God, which led to his death on the cross.

A – With so many opportunities to stop or change the assignment, Jesus never wavered.  The Creator became the creation to see human life with a “real-time” body.  It is humbling to know He did it with the cross as the goal.  It is even more humbling to know He did it with us on his mind.

R – Lord, thank you for your journey to the cross.  With a foundation of humility, you served us by modeling a life that obeyed God.  You remained obedient even when you could have stopped.  You were faithful to the end.  I pray that we will follow in your footsteps today.  Ground us in humility, give us courage to be obedient and be faithful to your calling today.

S – And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, ¹⁰ so that you may approve the things that are superior and may be pure and blameless in the day of Christ

Philippians 1:9–10 CSB

O – Paul desires for the believer to grow in their agape love (unconditional love) to grow in knowledge (recognition – practical) and discernment (spiritual perception).  This will allow the believer to discern what is best.  This gives them the ability to move towards it and move away from things that are not for their betterment.

A – This is a great prayer for us.  We need to have the ability to develop the practices that are going to bring daily growth for us physically, mentally and emotionally.  Adding discernment will allow us to recognize the spiritual elements that will affect us and give us insight into how to move toward God’s will.

R – Lord, I invite your Holy Spirit into my day in every aspect.  I pray that my love will grow for You and all those I will interact with today.  Help me to grow in my knowledge so I will recognize the things today that will help me take new steps in all areas.  Help me to grow in my discernment – I want to see things as you see them.  Thank you, God, for being with me today.

S – To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband. 

Ephesians 5:33 CSB

O – Paul summarizes this teaching with two directives

       1. Husbands love your wives. 

       2. Wives respect your husbands.

A – Everyone wants to be loved and respected.  There is a natural bent for men to desire respect and for women wanting love.  One of the benefits of marriage is that it is meant to meet that need and desire.  Both men and women need to find ways to genuinely express what their spouse needs.

R – Lord, thank you for my wife.  Help me to express my love for her in a way that will bring her fulfillment, peace and security.  Thank you for the gift that she is to me and our family.  Bless her today to fulfill the purposes that you created her to accomplish. 

S – until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. ¹⁴ Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. ¹⁵ But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ

Ephesians  4:13–15 CSB

O – Three concepts:

1.  Unity in our faith and knowledge of Christ brings maturity in Christ.

2.  This foundation will allow us to walk in discernment and awareness of the enemy’s and other human’s deceit.

3.  Speaking the truth in Christ’s love allows us to grow closer to each other and Him.

A – All three principles work together to mature the individual and the body of Christ.  As our trust in God grows, we mature in His character.  We are aware of what God’s plans and purposes are and how they differ from the enemy’s.  We must speak truthfully to each other, God and even ourselves if the body of Christ is to be healthy and complete.

R – Lord, I surrender today to you.  I desire to know you more as I grow in my faith and trust in you.  I want to see today through your eyes that I can see your purposes and discern the attacks of the enemy.  I want you to bring people into my life to speak your truth to me and I choose to courageously do that for others.  My maturity is predicated on my effort to press into the growth plans you have for me – give me the strength to do that today.

S – I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, ¹⁹ and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God

Ephesians 3:17–19 CSB

O –  Paul is sharing how the Gentiles are included in God’s plan.  This is based on the foundational principle of God’s love.  If all men could understand this, they would love God back and walk in this part of his character.

A – What would our lives look like if we really could comprehend the magnanimity of God’s love for us?  We would be empowered in the completeness of God.  Sin, questions, fears, expectations – all the things that keep us from God would be answered because the love of God supersedes them.

A – Lord, we come to you because you loved us first.  Your expression of love is too great for us to understand but would reveal another layer of it to us today.  Help us to walk in the fullness of your love.  Empower us to go beyond our comprehension into a new level of depth and richness today.

S – But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace

Ephesians 2:4–5 CSB

O – “But God” contrasts the first three verses while emphasizing this verse squarely on God.  Out of his abundant mercy and love for us, graciously negates our sin which leads to death. 

A – Even typing this, it still is humbling to think that in my worst, God saved me from my sin.  At my best, it would never have been good enough.  God meets us in the tension of that continuum to daily grow my relationship with him.  

R – Lord, thank you for another day to know you.  Only by your grace and mercy can I come in confidence that I am yours.  Thank you for your forgiveness.  “But God” takes my focus off of me and puts it squarely on you.  I invite your Holy Spirit to lead me today as I love you and others.

S – I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit^, of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength. 

Eph 1:17–19 CSB

O – This prayer has the following elements:

• Honors Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit 
• Growing hearts
• Know the hope of his calling
• Know the abundance, and richness that comes with this relationship
• Know the unlimited power in our favor
• God works for our benefit.

A – Pray this prayer with full faith and confidence today.

R – Father – I pray the following prayer knowing that you are my God.  I love the benefits of knowing you.  Above that, I love that your love for me sent Jesus to the cross and allowed me to have a relationship with you.  Help me to walk in all that you have for me today.

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit^, of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength. 

S – Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, ⁸ because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit

Galatians 6:7–8 CSB

O –  The word “mocked” is translated as “turn up one’s snout in contempt.” This principle of sowing and reaping is universal to each facet of life.  Whatever you sow, you will reap.  Even when someone receives a “benefit” from taking there is an eventual time where that will be rectified. 

A – I often say – “The truth will always come out.”  It is better to know you sowed foundationally what is right and true instead of cutting corners and playing margins.  In any area of your life, you are sowing for the good or bad.  God will not be “played or held in contempt.”  He will allow you to reap what you sowed.

R – Lord, I want to sow good things.  I surrender all that you have given me back to you.  Help me to steward it by the leading of your Holy Spirit so that it will bring forth good fruit.  I know I will make mistakes and sin.  Even in those times, let my sowing be from a heart that seeks forgiveness and more of you.  Let my thoughts, words and actions plant seeds of growth for me and others today.