Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom he is pleased!”

Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill.

Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God on behalf of my fellow Israelites is for their salvation.

He did this by predestining us to adoption as his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his will –

He did this when he revealed to us the secret of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ,

for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God.

And in this regard we pray for you always, that our God will make you worthy of his calling and fulfill by his power your every desire for goodness and every work of faith,

On that same occasion Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will.