Effective knowledge in fellowship.

​“I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake.”

‭‭Philemon‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬, ‭6‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/phm.1.4-6.NASB1995

As I read through the letters of Paul, I am amazed by his prayers for the saints. Paul prays for Philemon in this way, “the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing.”

Paul and Philemon had some kind of friendship. Maybe Paul had won Philemon over to the Lord Jesus and had spent a considerable amount of time disciplining him. And Paul knew that Philemon was a learned man who sought after knowledge. But now Paul is also asking that God would make his knowledge effective in the fellowship of his faith with other believers. 

Could you imagine that Philemon would study every good thing, but then keep it all to himself? What good would that do for him? He would have all this good knowledge but it would become useless in his mind and heart. And he would eventually lose heart and give up. But rather Paul is asking God to make it useful and effective in the lives of other people. People like Onesimus! We will talk about him in our next Quiet Time Thought.

The two other prayers of Paul that I know of...

“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬-‭12‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/col.1.9-12.NASB1995

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/eph.1.18-19.NASB1995