April 11 2026

Saturday April 11

“Approve the Things That Are Excellent”

Philippians 1:9-11

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and 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.” 

Today we are continuing to look at Philippians 1:9–11. This is a prayer that the Apostle Paul prayed for the church at Philippi—for the believers there. He was praying that God would help them be the best they could be for the glory of God. Oftentimes we ask the question: How do I pray for my family? How do I pray for my friends? How do I pray for my pastor? My friend, there are several prayers in the New Testament where the Apostle Paul prayed for believers in different churches. Take time to look those prayers up. Make them your prayers. Write them out. Maybe memorize them, and pray those very scriptural, biblical prayers for those you want to see the Lord work in. In doing so, you are asking the Lord to fill them with His Holy Spirit and to give them what they need to be all that they should be for the glory of God.

As a matter of fact, that is exactly what Paul says in this prayer. Read it again—Philippians 1:9–11: “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, and 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.”

Now, as we look at this prayer, we have already talked about how he first prayed that their love would abound more and more. He prayed that they would have a life of knowledge—living in the understanding of who God is and dedicating their lives to His glory. Then he prayed that they would have discernment. How important it is to have spiritual discernment—to know what is right and what is wrong, what path you should go down, and which path you should avoid. My friend, that kind of discernment only comes from being in the Word of God and allowing the Word of God to be in you, guiding your life. “Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against God.”

Now today, we come to this next phrase: “that you may approve the things that are excellent.” This takes discernment one step further. It is not just knowing what is right and wrong—it is choosing what is best. You see, there are many things in life that are not necessarily wrong, but they are not the best use of our time, our energy, our focus, or our resources. So Paul is praying that these believers would prioritize what truly matters in life. Some have called this living a life of significance. Too many of us today live on the level of success—we are always looking for something more or something better for ourselves, our families, and even our grandchildren. When instead, we should be asking, “What does God want for our lives?”

Remember what Jesus said: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). My friend, we are living in a day of what could be called “weapons of mass distractions.” Our telephones, our emails, our text messages, our iPhones—all of these things can pull us away from what truly matters. Let me encourage you: do not think of life as a list of priorities—God first, family second, church third, and so on. Instead, think of it as a circle. In the very center of that circle is God—the Holy Spirit, the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Read Romans chapter 14, where it speaks of Christ being Lord of all. Is Jesus truly the Lord of your life? Is He at the center of everything you do? This does not mean you simply rank one thing above another. It means that whatever you do, you do it for the glory of God, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and with His blessing upon your life. That is what Paul is talking about here—“that you may approve the things that are excellent.” Choose carefully the things that are best for your life.

You might consider reading Charles Hummel’s The Tyranny of the Urgent, which speaks about how urgent things often crowd out what is truly important. They demand immediate attention, and as a result, we neglect the important things that matter most. So I encourage you, my friend: read the Scriptures. The Bible tells us that these things are given to help us become men and women of God—complete and equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Let the Holy Spirit of God take the Word of God and help you not only to do what is right, but to choose what is best.

“Approve the things that are excellent.”

God bless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!