Guidance in Intercession
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Colossians 1:9 .
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
We pick back up with Paul and Timothy setting the example of an attitude of prayer.
What kind of prayer are they engaging in?
A Prayer of Intercession - Intercession is the act of representing another person before an authority. When one intercedes for themselves it is called petition. It this case, it is Paul and Timothy representing the Colossians before the throne of grace. Let’s pay attention to the content of their intercession so that we might gain insight to how we should intercede and petition before the throne of grace.
What can we learn from Paul and Timothy’s example of intercession?
First, that the Colossians will be “filled with knowledge of his will with all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”
Let’s unpack this phrase.
The first thing is “may be filled”.
What is the idea behind this filling?
It is the idea that God, through his Spirit, fills us completely with what we need. An OT example of this comes from Exodus 31:1-3 in God equipping them to build the Tabernacle.
1 The Lord said to Moses,
2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,
3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship,
We see this same concept echoed in the Gospels, Acts, and the Letters. Some examples are John 16:13-15; Acts 4:31; Ephesians 5:18.
What does the Spirit fill you completely with?
The Spirit of God completely fills us with the knowledge of God’s will.
The first part of his filling is to fill us with knowledge. The idea here is a personal knowledge, a first-hand knowledge. Paul and Timothy then are asking that the Colossian believers know God’s will personally.
The second part is to fill the believers with God’s will. God’s will communicates how he wants us to engage him in relationship and how he wants us to walk in the world.
The third part is the Spirit of God fills us with all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
We do not just know God’s will, but are given wisdom - the ability to apply God’s will.
We do not just know God’s will, but are given understanding - the conception as to why we do God’s will. All this is possible because of the Holy Spirit filling us.
We then are to ask for his filling for others and for ourselves. This should be a priority in all our prayers.
Paul and Timothy’s guidance in intercession then is to ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with knowing, understanding and applying God’s will.
Why is this an essential prayer of intercession?
Colossians 1:10-11 .
10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;
The Holy Spirit filling us then is essential to walking with God and pleasing him through life.
This is why we should be asking for the Spirit to fill us, for all of what we need comes through him.
The illness we are fighting, he has the answer and the power to walk through it.
The difficult relationship we are struggling with, he has the answer and the power to walk through it.
The sin that we are wrestling with, he has the way of escape and the power to overcome it.
The Holy Spirit’s filling doesn’t have us just get by through life. No , he strengthens us with all power according to God’s glorious might. That, Church, is unlimited power to walk the walk and talk the talk.
The walk is expressed in endurance, patience with joy. Many of us heard the word “endurance” and were like, “I got this. I can grin and bear it. Just hurry up, will ya?” Then we heard the word “patience” and soon realized that this truly is a work of God’s glorious might, which is further confirmed with the icing of joy on the layered cake of endurance and patience.
We then see why it is important to intercede and petition for the Holy Spirit to fill and empower us to walk in the knowledge, application, and understanding of God’s will.
Colossians 1:12 .
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
Paul and Timothy bring us full circle in prayer with the attitude of gratitude.
Our relationship with God is the foundation for that gratitude, for he has granted by his grace, the privilege of sharing with the saint in light. Light here is signifying being positioned with God, who is light (1 John 1:5).
Colossians 1:13-14 .
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Not only are we thankful for where God has placed us, we are thankful for where he as brought us from. We were of the kingdom of darkness, but have now been transferred into Jesus’ kingdom, the kingdom of light.
The thankfulness continues, for we are thankful for what he has accomplished:
Our redemption, the purchasing of us from the kingdom of darkness.
Our forgiveness of sins, made possible by the blood of the cross.
We give thanks in God’s work, asking the Holy Spirit to fill ourselves and our brothers and sisters with knowledge, application, and understanding of God’s will. We do this because we understand that the Holy Spirit's work is essential to accessing the glorious might of God which is so desperately needed to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. Go, seek and intercede for the Holy Spirit to fill us for life with God.