Praying for Believers

Colossians 1:9-14

In this section of Scripture Paul lets the Colossian believers know that he is praying for them. He goes into detail about his prayers. His prayers are unlike the prayers of most believers today. His prayers are for the spiritual maturity of the Colossian believers. Think about how we normally pray. We ask for prayer requests and we get:

Families of people who passed

People who are sick

Government

Safety (traveling, military)

Church

Lost

How often do we hear prayer requests like this:

Pray that I’ll love God more

Pray that I’ll know God more

Pray that I’ll have the wisdom and understanding of God

Pray that I’ll walk worthy of the Lord

Pray that I’ll bear more fruit for the kingdom of God

We don’t have a category on our prayer sheet for people who want prayer to grow in grace. Perhaps that’s because we’re too proud or too preoccupied. In this section of Scripture Paul shows us how to pray for believers.

How many of you believe God answers the prayers of the saints in the salvation of the lost? We pray for the lost and God does a work. Well, if we can pray for the lost to be saved can we not pray for the saved to be matured? We certainly can and that’s what Paul does. You can aid people in their spiritual growth through prayer. We’re going to learn how to do that today.

We’re going to break these passages down into two sections. In verses 12-14 Paul thanks God for their salvation. In verses 9-11 Paul prays for their sanctification.

1. Paul explains their salvation (12-14).

A. God qualified the Colossians (12).

1. The word “qualified” is only used twice in the Bible. Here and 2 Cor. 3:6. The idea behind the word is that God has made us worthy. We were not worthy. God made us worthy.

2. The word is used here in regards to our salvation. No one deserves to be saved. Our culture would never want anyone to believe this. In fact the church even misses this often times.

People say “Don’t feel unworthy! You’re worth the blood of Jesus!” That’s not true. If we were worth what Jesus did for us there would be nothing amazing about grace. The sacrifice of Jesus is what makes us worthy. Salvation involves the payment of a debt we owed and the imputation of a righteousness we could not earn. God makes us worthy through salvation.

3. The word is also used in regard to service. 2 Cor. 3:6 says “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament;

Because God has made them worthy they shared “in the inheritance of the saints in light”. In other words the Colossian believers would get the same thing Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did. They had an inheritance waiting on them in the presence of God.

B. God delivered the Colossians (13).

1. They were delivered from the domain of darkness.

The Colossians were blind to spiritual truth.

The Colossians were bound by a sinful nature.

The Colossians were blinded by Satan himself.

Just as God broke the back of Pharaoh and delivered the Jewish people Christ has broken the back of Satan and declared “Let my people go!”

2. They were transferred into the kingdom of Christ. The Colossians had not gone to heaven but heaven had come to them. In other words, the kingdom of God was in them. Christ was now ruling through them. The hearts of the Colossian Christians had become a throne for Christ.

There’s an old hymn that says:

Born of the Spirit with life from above into God's family divine,

Justified fully thru Calvary's love, O what a standing is mine!

And the transaction so quickly was made, when as a sinner I came,

Took of the offer, of grace He did proffer, He saved me, O praise His dear name!

C. God redeemed the Colossians (14).

1. Redemption comes through the blood of Jesus. The idea of redemption is a price is paid so a prisoner can be released. Believers are redeemed, set free, let go from their sin debt because Jesus paid the price with his blood.

2. Redemption includes the forgiveness of sins. God removes and forgets our sin.

When you pay for something you can do what you want with it. It’s yours. When God paid for our sins what did He do with them?

Jeremiah 31:34 says

for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Micah 7:19 says

He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

Our great God could do what He wanted with our sins but He has chosen to forget them, cast them into the sea!

Paul is praying for the Colossians who have been qualified, delivered and redeemed. This is the basis for his prayer. He already knows what God has done for them. This gives him great faith in what God will do in them.

2. Paul prays for their sanctification (9).

A. They would be filled with the knowledge of God (9).

1. It’s clear this is a prayer for saved people. You can’t be filled with the knowledge of God until you get saved. Note “And so” pointing back to verses 1-8.

Because you have faith in Christ

Because your faith has transformed you

Because you have a hope laid up in heaven

That’s why Paul was praying for them. We don’t stop praying for people because they get saved. Paul’s praying for them because he’s not only passionate about salvation. He’s passionate about sanctification. He doesn’t want to just see babies born he wants to see babies grow.

2. To be filled with the knowledge of His will means to be totally controlled by Him. You can fill your mind with something so much that it takes over your life. Paul prays the Colossians will do that with the knowledge of God.

The knowledge of God is found in the Word of God. The will of God is found in the Word of God. God has a will, your will is to be His will and His will is found in the Word. If you’re not in the Word you won’t know His will.

3. To be filled with the knowledge of God includes spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Wisdom is the collection of Biblical principles in your mind. When you’re filled with the Word of God you begin to recognize principles and truths that carry over in your daily life.

Understanding is the application of those principles. As you go about life you recognize how to apply God’s Word to real life situations.

We mentioned the problems in the church last week: legalism and paganism. The answer to those problems was to be filled with the Word of God.

Our culture is filled with the world:

24 hour a day sports

24 hour a day news

Binge watch a series on Net Flix for 24 hours

Social media

The quick shift in beliefs in our culture is tied directly to the quick access to information. That would be great if the information we’re getting were of the Lord. Our young people and our older people swipe all day long. We’re filling ourselves with the world. It is impacting us.

Illustration of me and a gallon of water. It makes a difference!

B. There are practical ways to be filled with the knowledge of God.

1. Personal bible study.

2. Listening to sermons.

3. Reading Biblically sound books about God.

C. The prayer of Paul should move us all toward sanctification.

1. Paul is passionate about spiritual growth. Why do preachers preach? Why do teachers teach? Why do men of God plead with the church? God puts a passion within them for sanctification within the church.

2. Prayer for sanctification is meant to move the Christian. Move us to be honest with ourselves: I’m not being filled with the knowledge of God. I’m not filled with the will of God.

3. We complain about spiritual immaturity in the church but do we pray about it? Let us pray for our sanctification and the sanctification of others in the church. Let us pray we’ll all be filled with the knowledge of His will! Let us be honest with ourselves:

I don’t listen when the teacher teaches or the preacher preaches.

I don’t read the Bible personally.

I don’t read books about the Person and will of God.

3. The Benefits of being filled with the knowledge of God (10-11).

A. A worthy walk that pleases the Lord (10).

1. This is the result of being filled with the knowledge and will of God. How can you please the Lord if you don’t know His will?

2. A worthy walk is fruitful. There are righteous qualities in your character and righteous deeds in your life.

3. A worthy walk increases your knowledge of God. This is maturing in the faith. Loving God more fully, living for God more obediently.

Is Christ worthy to you? Is He the pearl of Great price to you? Is He the treasure hidden in a field to you? Is He worth your life? If He is you’ll walk worthily. God has called us all to this walk. That’s why Paul prays this.

B. Strength from the Lord (11).

1. There is power in the Word of God. When you are filled with the Word you are filled with power. God doesn’t just give us a boost in the Christian life and let us go. He continually strengthens us through the power of His Word.

2. His power gives us endurance and patience.

These two words are very similar in the Greek. They both refer to properly enduring trials.

endurance deals with patience in circumstances

patience deals with being longsuffering with people.

Paul took issue with quitters. That’s why he was so upset with John Mark (Acts 16). He’s praying that these Colossians would be filled with the knowledge of God so that circumstances and people wouldn’t cause them to quit.

Notice he also says their strength will enable them to endure trying times with joy.

3. His power also enables us to resist temptation.

C. A thankful heart (12).

1. Thankfulness is a great sign of being filled with the knowledge of God.

When you know the Word of God you know that whatever you get is better than you deserve.

Let’s summarize all this:

We’re called to pray for believers who have been qualified, redeemed and delivered. We are to pray that they will be filled with the knowledge and will of God so that they will:

Walk a worthy walk

Be strong

Be thankful

Question: Do we have a problem in the church today with unthankful, weak and sinful living believers? Let us pray then.

The One Thing- Spiritual growth should be a burden of every believer.