Reading in my Bible the other day I came to Paul's letter to the church in Colosse. I was struck by his great love for this church and it's people, people that he had never met face to face. This is the love of God and the joy we get from knowing others who share our faith. It brings about a sweetness in fellowship unlike any other.
Paul tells the people exactly what he and his coworkers in the ministry are praying for them. It's found in Colossians 1 starting in verse 9.
"So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
We also pray that you will be strengthened will all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins."
Paul's letter continues from here and reminds the believers that Christ is supreme, admonishes them to stand firm in the truth and cites his own qualifications as God's chosen emissary to the Gentiles but it's those verses, nine through fourteen, that I really want to focus on today.
First Paul tells them that they have not stopped praying for them since they first heard about the church. Can you imagine? You're a new church of believers and you learn that this very famous apostle and his group of coworkers are praying for you. That would be pretty extraordinary! But he doesn't stop there, he explains what they're praying for.
Complete knowledge of the Lord's will and for you to have spiritual wisdom and understanding. Yeah, there's times I think we'd all like a healthy dose of that!
That the way you live will always honor and please the Lord and that your lives will produce every kind good fruit and continue to grow as you learn more and more about God.
Paul says they also pray that church will be strengthened, filled with joy and always thanking God for what He's done for them.
Is there a better prayer that you could ask for? After all aren't these the things that we're striving after?
That's what I love so much about this prayer that Paul prays for the church in Colosse. Next time you're trying to pray for someone or a group of people, or even if you're praying for yourself, and you're not sure what words to use go take a look at this prayer in Colossians 1. I think you'll be inspired by what you find there.
No comments:
Post a Comment