What do we pray for?

Introduction

Colossians 1:1-2, Introduction - Know who you are

He knew who he was, and who he was writing to...

He was An Apostle, by the will of God

They were God’s Holy people, faithful - wanting to grow in Christ

Colossians 1:3-8, What are we known for?

Faith in Christ Jesus

Love for all God’s people

Hope stored up in heaven

Bearing fruit

Growing...

Colossians 1:9-14, What do we pray for?

Those two concepts, bearing fruit and growing are referenced by Paul again in this next section.

Colossians 1:9–14 NIV

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Paul prayed continually

Colossians 1:9 NIV

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,

Paul prayed for God to:

Fill you with knowledge of his will

Fill - completeness

knowledge - personal, experiential knowledge; not philosophical or head knowledge which puffs up 1 Cor 8.1

His will

Matthew 7:21–23 NIV

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

1 Thessalonians 4:3 NIV

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 2:15 NIV

For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.

1 Peter 3:17 NIV

For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

1 Peter 4:2 NIV

As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

Psalm 40:8 NIV

I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.”

How does that come?

Through all wisdom and understanding the Spirit gives

Wisdom - skills in the affairs of life; sound judgement, good sense, forming best plans and best means

1 Kings 3:9 NIV

So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

Understanding - comprehension of concepts and relations between them

Earthly wisdom and understanding vs. Spirit given, heavenly

1 Corinthians 1:19 NIV

For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

1 Corinthians 2:12–15 NIV

What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,

James 1:13–18 NIV

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Wisdom and understanding are often connected and are tied to the scriptures - Deut 4.6

Deuteronomy 4:6 NIV

Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”

Fear of the Lord - Prov 1.7; 9.10

Why?

Knowledge is not an end in itself… it is to be applied to how we live.

So that you may live a life worthy of the Lord

walk, used here and in Col 2:6; 3:7; 4:4

worthy - “of equal weight”, suitable and proper

like Jesus, holy as he is holy 1 Peter 1.15

AND

Please him in every way

What does that look like?

bearing fruit, growing, being strengthened, giving thanks

Bearing fruit in every good work

Growing in the knowledge of God

being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might

sub point: so that you may have great endurance and patience

Great endurance -

patience -

giving joyful thanks to the Father

why? He has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light

how? He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

How often do we pray for others?

What do we pray for?

Colossians 1:9–14 NIV

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.