For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy. (Colossians 1:9-11)
The Apostle Paul was a man of prayer, and in many of his letters he spoke of how he prayed for others. He had never met these Christians from the city of Colosse face to face, yet he loved them, cared for them, and did perhaps the best thing for them—he prayed for them. We can learn a lot from the prayer life of an apostle.
Paul prayed for them constantly: we do not cease to pray for you. Because the Colossians needed an ongoing work of God, Paul made ongoing prayer for them.
Paul prayed that they would be filled with the knowledge of His will, informed by a true spiritual understanding. To know God and what He requires of us is our first responsibility, and Paul prayed they would know these things.
Second, Paul prayed that they would live according to the same knowledge they received, living out a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him. This is a familiar pattern, repeated over and over again in the New Testament. Our walk is based on our knowledge of God and our understanding of His will.
Next, Paul prayed that they would be fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. When it came to good works, he wanted them to have as many as a flourishing apple tree in season. Whatever good work they could find to do, they should do it. When it came to knowing God, he wanted them to know Him more and more.
Finally he prayed that they would be strengthened with all might. We can pray for the strength to help us meet all of life’s challenges, and to endure and overcome with joy problems we have with circumstances (patience) and people (longsuffering).
Do you see the prayer list? Paul constantly prayed they would:
– Know God’s will on a spiritual level
– Live worthy of God and please Him
– Do many good works and grow in knowing god
– Receive God’s strength to deal with life’s many problems
You can pray this for yourself and for others, and pray like an apostle prayed!
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David’s weekly devotional is also translated into German.
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