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 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Paul had spoken about how he thanked God for their faithfulness. Now he begins to focus on some of the areas where the Colossian church needed support and guidance. They were facing false teaching and heresy that included the idea of special spiritual knowledge available to a select few. From when Paul heard about this threat he had prayed regularly for them and what follows is what he prayed.
He prayed that they would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. As we grow in our knowledge of God we grow in our ability to mature as Christians. We cannot apply what we do not know. Therefore it is important that we know God’s word.
Paul prayed that their knowledge would result in them walking worthy of the Lord. The result of our spiritual knowledge should not be a puffed-up mind (1 Cor 8:1) but obedience as servants. When we obey what we read in the Bible, then we are fully pleasing to Him.
When we walk worthy of the lord, then we should be producing fruit in every good work. Fruit comes as a result of an abiding relationship with Jesus just as branches remain dependant on the vine (John 15:1-8).
Paul re-emphasises increasing in our knowledge of God. It is only through a thorough knowledge of God’s word that we can spot what is false.
As we follow the pattern of reading and obeying, walking worthy and bearing fruit, then we will grow in spiritual maturity which makes us stronger in our faith. “The more we obey, the better we get at it.” That spiritual strength enables us to endure and be patient in the face of the inevitable challenges we will face in life and in our trials, all of which we can do with joy (Jas 1:2-4).
All of this should result in us giving thanks to the Father because it is He who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints. God is the one who saved us from darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of Jesus who redeemed us by paying for our sins.
This particular portion of Scripture is a wonderful model prayer that you can use to pray for others. Who can you pray this prayer for today (Try replacing “you” with their name)?
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
Jesus Walks on Water: John 5-6