Paul wrote Philippians when the church was about 10 years old, again expressing his thanksgiving for a young church (Philippians 1:3–5). His main prayer for them is in verses 9 to 11 of chapter 1. For the sake of God’s glory, he asks that God would give them a growingly discerning love enabling them to love and choose things that are worth loving, resulting in their living blameless lives.

In our ministries we should emphasize the value of discernment, learn enough about the culture to know what people are facing, show how to develop discernment, and labor in secret prayer for them about the choices we know they are making.