With today being the Memorial of The Passion of St. John the Baptist, the line that always comes to mind from him is, “He must increase while I must decrease.” This has got to be my favorite quote because it always reminds me that it’s never about me, but it’s always about God. (And that is also a great way to pray!)
However, St. Paul prays to the Thessalonians (3:7-13), “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all…to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father.”
Being blameless has to do with walking with God, and being in His presence. And what’s one of the best ways to be in His presence? Through prayer!
Paul is very specific about what he is praying for. On the other hand, we tend to pray around issues instead of getting to the problem itself. To pray specifically means to bring to God what lies heavy on our hearts. Praying this way indicates that we are truly waiting upon the Lord for guidance and direction.
Often we pray telling God what He ought to do rather than seeking His will. We should not fear coming to God with our needs and desires; but, we must be willing to accept His answer, even if it’s not what we think is best for us. We might know best, but God knows better.
“Prayer might not get us what we want, but it will teach us to want what we need.” ~Vance Havner
To be blameless in holiness is a prayer for increased love. It is a prayer to reach out to others, to focus on the needs of others and to not be self-centered. It is a prayer that our lives must be filled with a passionate love to be committed to Jesus, where holiness is not a goal or achievement, but a lifestyle.
We pray that our lives be filled with the same passion that motivated St. John the Baptist: to give witness to our Christian values and by increasing the areas of our lives that need to be increased, and decreasing those areas that need to be decreased. We may not be called to die as John the Baptist died, but we are all called to live as he lived!
