Changed through Prayer (2)

Colossians 1:9–14 NKJV

9 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; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

I. Fill with Knowledge of His Will

Colossians 1:9 NKJV

9 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;

Knowledge means to possess more or less definite information about, possibly with a degree of thoroughness or competence—‘to know about, to know definitely about, knowledge about.’

Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 333.

How? Through Prayer

Personal prayer

Psalm 143:10 NKJV

10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.

Matthew 6:10 NKJV

10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

Others Praying

Colossians 1:9 NKJV

9 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;

What is the known will of God?

To be saved

To be spirit-filled

To be sanctified

To be submissive

To be willing to suffer

To be thankful

To be saved

2 Peter 3:9 NKJV

9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

To be Spirit-filled

Ephesians 5:17 NKJV

17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Ephesians 5:18 NKJV

18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

To be sanctified

1 Thessalonians 4:3 NKJV

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;

1 Thessalonians 4:4 NKJV

4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,

To be submissive

1 Peter 2:13–15 NKJV

13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—

To suffer

1 Peter 3:15–16 NKJV

15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.

1 Peter 3:17 NKJV

17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

To be thankful

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV

18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

A. Wisdom

In respect to divine things, wisdom, knowledge, insight, deep understanding, represented everywhere as a divine gift, and including the idea of practical application.

Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

Colossians 3:16 NKJV

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Colossians 4:5 NKJV

5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.

James 3:17 NKJV

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

B. Spiritual Understanding

to comprehend, reason out. Comprehension, perception, understanding. The word denotes the ability to understand concepts and see relationships between them

Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

1 Corinthians 14:20 NKJV

20 Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.

1 John 5:20 NKJV

20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

Luke 8:14–15 NKJV

14 Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. 15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.