And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight. (Phi 1:9 NIV)

The love of the congregation in Philippi was special and outstanding. The love they had towards God and the Lord Jesus Christ, which was demonstrated also in their love towards his apostle and missionary St. Paul. Yet the congregation was still far off from being perfect in the knowledge and depth of insight. That is why the Apostle prays for this growth and increase even as he links it to their existing love and divine affection. This love is to guide the Philippians as they grow in insight and knowledge, yes, as they are sensitised to the workings of the Holy Spirit in their midst and beyond.

Dear and most beloved God, let your spirit of love dwell amongst us most abundantly so that even the most trying and sad experiences will not make us despondent, rather encourage us to be even more faithful and merciful never tiring to hope and to believe. Purify our love from all self-centeredness, false prejudice, blindness so that we live holy and sanctified lives pleasing to you. Amen. (P.Wurster)

Renew me, O eternal Light, And let my heart and soul be bright, Illumined with the light of grace That issues from your holy face.

Remove the power of sin from me And cleanse all my impurity That I may have the strength and will Temptations of the flesh to still.

Create in me a new heart, Lord, That gladly I obey your Word. Let what you will be my desire, And with new life my soul inspire.

Grant that I only you may love And seek those things which are above Till I behold you face to face, O Light eternal, through your grace. (Johann Friedrich Ruopp, 1672-1708 tr August Crull 1845-1923)

This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Thursday after the twenty second Sunday after the high holiday of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 373 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.