Praying in God's Will
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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,
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;
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
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.
“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, 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; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
ESV
Paul fervently desired that the body of Christ—individually and corporately—become spiritually mature. Paul had first hand experience in this maturing process.
In we see the spiritual immaturity of then Saul. Absolutely no spirituality in this person.
1 And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.
3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
Ravage: made havock of, began to destroy, devastate, causing great harm to the church.
Then we see the maturing of Saul.
1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.
4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.
8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.
9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
The Damascus road experience. Saul is blind for 3 days and then Ananias comes under the direction of the Holy Spirit and his vision is restored and he is immediately baptized. Shortly after this he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues. This is the beginning of spiritual maturity. As Saul who becomes Paul continued to mature he became very aware that this maturing process was part of God’s plan for His people. Knowing the Lord had planned for such growth to impact the world, the apostle asked that believers would know God’s will and then ...
The Damascus road experience. Saul is blind for 3 days and then Ananias comes under the direction of the Holy Spirit and his vision is restored and he is immediately baptized. This is the beginning of spiritual maturity. As Saul who becomes Paul continue to mature he became very aware that this maturing process was part of God’s plan for His people. Knowing the Lord had planned for such growth to impact the world, the apostle asked that believers would know God’s will and then ...
Live a Godly Life
Live a Godly Life
Live a godly life (). Paul prayed for our character, conversation, and conduct to be consistent with the Lord’s. Christians are Jesus’ representatives, so our lives ought to be an extension of His—with eyes that look compassionately at others, hearts that offer forgiveness and love, and hands that are engaged in service. A believer’s character, while imperfect, should increasingly reflect Christ’s righteousness.
Paul fervently desired that the body of Christ—individually and corporately—become spiritually mature. Paul had first hand experience in this maturing process. In we see the spiritual immaturity of then Saul. Absolutely no spirituality in this person. Then we see the maturing of Saul. The Damascus road experience. Saul is blind for 3 days and then Ananias comes under the direction of the Holy Spirit and his vision is restored and he is immediately baptized. This is the beginning of spiritual maturity. As Saul who becomes Paul continue to mature he became very aware that this maturing process was part of God’s plan for His people. Knowing the Lord had planned for such growth to impact the world, the apostle asked that believers would know God’s will and then ...
Live a godly life (). Paul prayed for our character, conversation, and conduct to be consistent with the Lord’s. Christians are Jesus’ representatives, so our lives ought to be an extension of His—with eyes that look compassionately at others, hearts that offer forgiveness and love, and hands that are engaged in service. A believer’s character, while imperfect, should increasingly reflect Christ’s righteousness.
Make our life count (v. 10). In God’s eyes, not everything we do is fruitful—much of our activity stems from a desire to please self or others. All that truly matters is what’s done in obedience to our Father. Jesus spoke about the importance of bearing much fruit, which is possible only when we stay connected with Him ().
The apostle asked that believers would know God’s will and then...
Experience God’s power (). Through the Holy Spirit’s presence, we have all we need for carrying out our Father’s will.
Remain committed and grateful (). God answers according to His perfect timing. We must be steadfast in prayer and thankful for everything He’s done.
Whether we pray these verses for ourselves or for others, we can know that our petitions are in accordance with the Lord’s will. And tells us praying in this way carries the wonderful assurance that God is going to respond affirmatively.
Make Our Life Count
Make Our Life Count
Make our life count (v. 10). In God’s eyes, not everything we do is fruitful—much of our activity stems from a desire to please self or others. All that truly matters is what’s done in obedience to our Father. Jesus spoke about the importance of bearing much fruit, which is possible only when we stay connected with Him ().
The apostle asked that believers would know God’s will and then....
Experience God’s Power
Experience God’s Power
Experience God’s power (). Through the Holy Spirit’s presence, we have all we need for carrying out our Father’s will. It is through His glory and His might that we are able to endure all the challenges this life throws at us. It is only through Him that we are able to live the life that God calls us to live.
The apostle asked that believers would know God’s will and then....
Remain Committed and Grateful
Remain Committed and Grateful
Remain committed and grateful (). God answers according to His perfect timing. We must be steadfast in prayer and thankful for everything He’s done. If we persevere in this walk of faith there is an inheritance waiting for us. Remember Jesus died on the cross so that we could one day be co-heirs with Him! It is through committed prayer and gratefulness that we can live in His will.
Whether we pray these verses for ourselves or for others, we can know that our petitions are in accordance with the Lord’s will.
And tells us praying in this way carries the wonderful assurance that God is going to respond affirmatively.
14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
Stay in God’s will for your life and watch and see the mighty things He does!!!
Let us pray!