Colossians 1:9-12
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
As we studied Colossians 1:3-8 last week we saw that the Apostle Paul even though being in prison regularly prayed for the Colossian believers whom he did not know. He was informed about them by their spiritual leader Epaphras.
As Paul begins to pray in Colossians 1:9-14 concerning these believers in Christ, in many ways it can serve as a pattern of how we can pray for other believers and even believers whom we do not know.
Paul’s prayer for the Colossians was not a generic prayer but a prayer inspired Holy Spirit. The thoughts and words used in the prayer were given to Paul by the Holy Spirit. This is our first point; we should always ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in what to pray for when praying for others.
Romans 8:26 NLT
“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.”
Ephesians 6:18 NLT
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
Even though Paul did not know the Colossian congregation, we in Colossians 1:3 he continually prayed for them. “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you…” We see this continual pattern or discipline of prayer by Paul with six other churches he wrote to. We must remember even though we cannot personally be with those whom we are praying for, we still can be close to them with our prayers as we are led by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 1:8-10
“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you…”
“…how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times…”
1 Corinthians 1:4
“I always thank God for you…”
Ephesians 1:16
“I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”
Philippians 1:3-4
“I thank my God every time I remember you.
1 Thessalonians 1:2
“We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.”
2 Thessalonians 1:3 NASU
“We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting…”
The second point we can learn and apply when we are praying for other believers in Christ is being thankful to God for the many different reasons the Holy Spirit gives us or that we know about. Paul emphasizes this to the Colossian congregation in Colossians 4:2, Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.
9a, “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you…”
The “reason” that Paul is referring to is based on all that he states in verse 3 and ending in verse 8 of which we studied last week.
Starting with the second part of verse 9 as Paul prays for the Colossian believers, he gives them a list of the many points and the results in their lives of those points he states. Theses points can serve as a basic pattern when we are praying for other Christians, especially when we are praying for persons we do not personally know.
9b, “…and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will…”
It is important to know that this knowledge is experiential knowledge which gained through experience through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and not just knowing God and His word. Also, the experiential knowledge gained is by a life that is humbly submitted to God, trusting God and His Word, which is done by applying and acting on what God says.
1 Corinthians 2:12-14, “12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.”
“Knowing God’s will–his desires and plans based on his character and purposes–results from knowing God himself and developing a deep personal relationship with him. Such a relationship grows out of spending consistent time in prayer–listening to and speaking with God–and the study of his Word. Our ability to recognize and understand God’s will comes as we apply his Word to the decisions, attitudes and actions of daily life. Only this kind of knowledge results in true spiritual wisdom and understanding that guides and transforms our hearts and lives as God desires.” – Fire Bible Study Notes
9c, through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Paul tells them how being filled “with the knowledge of his will” is accomplished in their relationship with Jesus. Spiritual “wisdom enables believers to live in a way that is tuned in to God’s way.”
In verses 10 and 11a Paul states five reasons of why he is praying this way for the Colossian believers, “And we pray this in order that…”.
Paul also states the results of these realities in a life of a believer that is filled “with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” The proof or evidence in a Christian experientially knowing God’s will is the life lived by that Christian.
10 a) “…that you may live a life worthy of the Lord b) and may please him in every way: c) bearing fruit in every good work, d) growing in the knowledge of God, 11a e) being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might…”
“A believer’s speech must match their walk or the word hypocrite may soon apply to them. We are fully pleasing Him when our walk matches our words. The working of God’s Spirit in salvation and sanctification energizes the Christian walk.”
In verses 11b to 12a Paul gives us three results or the fruit of the five reasons of verses in 10 and 11b. 11b, so that you may have 1) great endurance 2) and patience, 3) and joyfully 12a, giving thanks to the Father…”
It is only through the strength and power of God in a believer’s life who is “strengthened with all power according to his glorious might” that a believer in Christ will experience God’s endurance, patience, and joy.
Paul continues in verse 12 to explain the reason why a believer is, “11b, joyfully giving thanks to the Father”. This is because of what we have to look forward to receive. “…who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
“We should give thanks not because of our circumstances but because of the fact that God, by His gracious choice, has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. This inheritance is characterized by a life lived in God’s light.”
Pastor John
