Devotions (Triptych) #1

TUE, 1st September

Here is an overview of Philippians:

Philippians 1:1-11

Questions

1. How would you describe Paul’s relationship with the Philippian church according this passage? Why did Paul lift up a prayer of thanksgiving whenever he thought of them?
2. In verse 6, what was Paul confident about? Where do you think his conviction came from?
3. What was included in Paul’s prayer for the Philippians? Do you pray these things for your own walk with God? Why or why not?

Prayer Suggestions

1. Pray for the people whom you know and partner with in the gospel (e.g. pastors of other churches, missionaries you support, people working in organisations like Compassion Australia). Pray for their faith and walk with God to be unwavering and steadfast.
2. Pray for yourself or for a friend to be abounding in God’s knowledge and insight, to be pure and blameless, and be filled with the fruit of righteousness in Christ.

WED, 2nd September

Philippians 1:12-19

Questions

1. What had previously happened to Paul? Considering what had happened to him, why would Paul view his situation differently?
2. What can we learn as Christians from Paul’s attitude toward suffering for God? Do you share the same attitude when faced with suffering or hardship? Why or why not?
3. What are some reasons for people to preach the gospel? Do you agree with Paul that the reason for sharing the gospel does not matter so long as Christ is preached?

Prayer Suggestions

1. Pray that through difficult times, we would continue to rejoice, and rest assured in him.
2. Thank God for the struggles in your life and ask him to show you how to use those struggles to praise him and draw closer to him.
3. Pray that we would be equipped and ready to step out of our comfort zone to share God’s truths to non-Christian friends and family members around us.

THU, 3rd September

Philippians 1:20-26

Questions

1. What was Paul’s view regarding his own life and death? Paraphrase it in your own words.
2. Between life and death, which option did he choose? What were his given reasons for choosing one over the other?
3. If someone were to examine your life now, what would they say about your view of life and death according to how you live? Do you really believe that to die is gain because it is far better to be with Christ (v23)?

Prayer Suggestions

1. Ask God to examine your life and lead you into repentance. Also boldly ask the Lord to give you the same heart as Paul so that you can also one day say with confidence that “to live is Christ and to die is gain”.
2. Give thanks that we needn’t be afraid of death since we know that we’ll be with Jesus.
3. Give thanks for someone in your life who is an example to you in the way they live for Jesus. Pray that God would help you follow them as they follow Jesus.

FRI, 4th September

Philippians 1:27-30

Questions

1. Paul urged the Philippian Christians to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel. What are some examples given in the passage?
2. Verse 29 reminds us that suffering for the sake of Jesus is a normal occurrence in a Christian’s life. Why do you think that we still get surprised when suffering comes as a result of faithful living? Do you think suffering would tempt you to leave Jesus?

Prayer Suggestions

1. Pray for Christ to be exalted in our daily lives and in everything that we do. Pray for courage to openly exalt Christ and that God would sustain us when we get persecuted for it.
2. Pray for the church (as the body of Christ) to be united in one spirit in the gospel.
3. Mission Friday: pray for the persecuted Christians around the world.

SAT, 5th September

Philippians 2:1-11

Questions

1. In this passage, Paul gave some instructions to the Philippian church that they should note as the body of Christ. Make a table listing the things that they should and should not do, and the rationale behind each item.
2. Looking at verses 5-11, what is the mindset of Jesus Christ? What does it look like for us to follow the same mindset as Jesus in our relationships with one another? Can you see this happening within our church?
3. Examine your own heart and attitude. Are there things you need to repent of? Are there people you need to apologise to?

Prayer Suggestions

1. Pray that as a church we would strive to follow the attitude of Christ, and to avoid attitudes that lead to division and chaos.
2. Ask God to forgive you for the times you’ve acted in selfish ambition. Pray for humility and true desire to imitate Jesus.
3. Pray for the churches around the world to guard themselves against selfish ambitions. May they instead be united, humble, and compassionate toward one another.

SUN, 6th September

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