A Prayer For The Re-Discovered Woman
Colossians 1:9-12 (ESV)
“ 9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks[a] to the Father, who has qualified you[b] to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. ”
There are times when we want to pray for ourselves, loved ones or even strangers but do not know exactly what to pray for. More often than not, our prayers revolve around requests for needs and negates the work God desires to complete in us. Think of how powerful our prayers can be if we shift the focus of our prayers to what God truly desires for our lives. The Apostle Paul did exactly that when he wrote out a prayer to the church of Colosse in Colossians 1:9-12. Whether we are praying for ourselves or interceding for others, Paul’s prayer can be applicable in every life circumstance.
V9- To be filled with the knowledge of His (God’s) will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
God’s plan for us should be the central pursuit of our daily lives. We need to know what His plan is concerning us and to discern His guidance. This then prevents us from pursuing our own desires and deviating from the path of God.
V10- To walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, FULLY pleasing Him.
What is a manner worthy of the Lord? ---Fashioning our lives to bring glory to God.
V1- To bear fruit in every good work
What does it mean to bear fruit?--- Yielding positive results in this world.
V10-- To increase in the knowledge of God.
Praying for an increased knowledge of God is a request for us to draw closer to Him and to gain a deeper understanding of who He is. Reading the Bible and applying God’s word in our lives helps increase our knowledge of God but we need the Holy Spirit to aid this process.
V11- To be strengthened with God’s power according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.
We all need the strength of God on a daily basis to ensure life’s circumstances. Relying on our own strength will fail us but the strength of God grants us endurance, patience and joy even in the toughest of situations.
V12- To give thanks to God
Giving thanks to God recognizes His Lordship over our lives and attributes who we are and will ever be to Him. Being thankful releases a move of God over our daily lives because we recognize Him as our source.
I pray that God grants us the grace to pray according to His will daily and that our prayers will yield results. Amen.