Praying with Paul: Knowing What to Pray
Praying with Paul • Sermon • Submitted
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Intro:
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;
Tonight, we will continue [Praying with Paul], looking at the subject of [Knowing What to Pray].
Who has ever struggled knowing what to pray?
As I read our text, I thought of the saying, “Knowledge is Power.”
The phrase has been around since the late 1500s, and has been used by many politicians, poets, authors, and people.
The idea is that the one who knows the most normally has the power.
The one who knows math gets to keep score in a game
The one who knows how to cook gets to make the meals
The one who knows how to build gets to construct a building
The one who knows the most about a topic is usually considered an expert and can exert much power
There is another saying that goes along with knowledge. When I was a child, I asked a lady in our church a question and she answered, “the less you know the less you are responsible for.”
Which of these two ideas is the most biblical? Is knowledge important or is a lack of knowledge better?
One might argue that God knows everything, I will never be able to compete with Him, so what is the point of expanding my knowledge about the Lord?
If I don’t know, then I am not responsible!
God has a different view:
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
How could God, who is all-knowing, expect us to have knowledge?
Here is one of the amazing facts about God— He desires to make Himself known!
He wants us to know Him.
He wants us to know about Him.
He wants us to know about His will.
He wants us to know about His plans.
He does not keep knowledge from us.
The best way to know the Lord more is to spend time with Him and walk close with Him.
In our prayer life, God let’s us KNOW what we should pray. I want to look at this tonight in Paul’s words to the Colossian church. When we don’t know what to pray, we can pray for God to, [Fill Us], [Guide Us], and [Strengthen Us].
Let’s begin
1. Fill Us
1. Fill Us
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;
Remember the problems facing the Colossian Church. Paul did not start the church and had never visited them. It was not until Epaphras, a man who was saved under his ministry, came to visit him that Paul realized the depths of the problems.
The Colossian Church faced an infiltration by false teachers. These teachers claimed to have superior knowledge that was unavailable to the common person.
The problem with their false teaching was that they used terminology that Christians could understand.
As one man wrote, “Satan is so deceptive! He likes to borrow Christian vocabulary, but he does not use the Christian dictionary.” (Swindoll, Colossians, page 117).
These false teachers used all the right words and seemed to have everything that the Colossians could ever need or want!
To combat their heresy, Paul prayed that God would fill them with knowledge!
The word knowledge intellect, but that God would give them full knowledge. Full knowledge of what?
Full knowledge of God’s love and plan for their lives. Paul asked that God would give them complete knowledge of His will, thereby giving them spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Why did they kneed wisdom and understanding?
Jesus explained:
16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
When we don’t know what to pray, we can pray that God will fill us with wisdom and spiritual understanding.
We can never go wrong asking God for supernatural wisdom.
2. Guide Us
2. Guide Us
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;
Notice the word, WALK. Everyone in life is walking toward or away from something.
Davis is learning to walk. I personally think he can walk and when we are out of the room he walks every where. He just wants us to carry him as long as possible.
But for the longest time, he would hold onto both of our hands as we would guide him. Now, he can walk holding just one hand. Soon, he will walk every where, but for now he needs a guide.
Life in Christ is walk of faith. Therefore, Paul prayed that we would walk worthy of the Lord.
How will we know what to do and where to go in this walk?
When we have the wisdom and understanding of God, He will walk along side of us, guiding us in everything we do.
When He guides us, we will live a life that honors and pleases Him.
With Him as our guide, we will produce good fruit. I feel that bearing Godly fruit is so important in our culture.
Many people know how to talk church and talk about the Lord, but where is the fruit? What is the evidence of God’s guidance in our lives?
That is what people want to know. People never had to question who Jesus was, His words always aligned with His action, producing good fruit.
Is the same said of us?
Finally, with God as our guide, we will grow in Him and learn to know Him better!
When we don’t know what to pray, we can ask God for guidance.
God desires to lead and guide us in everything we say and do.
3. Strengthen Us
3. Strengthen Us
11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;
After we pray for God to fill and guide us, we need Him to strengthen us!
The idea of growing strong in the Lord is somewhat confusing.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
How is weakness really a strength?
Too often, we seek to do everything we can in our own strength and power. Paul prayed that God would give the Colossians church supernatural strength that only comes from God.
They were at a weak spot spiritually. Whether they realized it or not, they had become weak because of the false teaching.
Their weakness what not a liability though, for when we are weak then HE is strong within us!
So our weakness gives God an opportunity to strengthen us with HIS power. When we have HIS power, we can endure all that we face, and we can do with with joy.
Remember, there is a difference between joy and happiness. Happiness can change quickly, but JOY comes from walking with Jesus.
Notice Paul’s progressive prayer— it is not three separate requests- fill us, guide us, and strengthen us.
No, it is that God will FILL us with wisdom and understanding so that we will wisely follow Him as HE guides us, and with Him as our guide, He will lead us and strengthen us.
Weakness does not upset God, for when we are weak, then He can give us His strength.
Close:
What do we pray when we do not know what to pray?
We can never go wrong asking God to fill us, guide us, and strengthen us.
Who needs God to be filled with wisdom and understanding?
Who needs God’s guidance so we can bear good fruit?
Who needs God’s strength in the face of personal weakness?
All we have to do is ask?
How should we conclude a time of prayer that started when we did not know what to pray?
12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
GIVE THANKS TO GOD!
Always thanking the Father that we have an inheritance because we do not have to walk in darkness, but we live in the light of God.
I love the way Paul outlines this type of prayer. We have all been there, not knowing what to pray.
There is so much we may not understand, but God knows everything and He will speak to us and teach us.
I would say the Colossians did not know what to pray at this point. But then God came in and spoke to Paul on how to pray for them.
Next time we do not know what to pray, ask God to fill, guide, and strengthen our lives. Then conclude with giving Him thanks that He has heard and will answer!
Let’s begin tonight— God fill me, guide me, and strengthen me!