Praying God's Word: Prayers of Paul (Part 2)Намуна

PRAY TO WALK WORTHY OF THE LORD

Colossians 1:9-11 – 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; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.

First, Paul prayed they would have a knowledge of His will, informed by a true spiritual understanding. To know God and what He requires of us is our first responsibility.

“If you read this epistle through, you will observe that Paul frequently alludes to knowledge and wisdom. To the point in which he judged the church to be deficient, he turned his prayerful attention. He would not have them ignorant. He knew that spiritual ignorance is the constant source of error, instability, and sorrow; and therefore he desired that they might be soundly taught in the things of God.” (Spurgeon)

Second, Paul prayed they would live according to the same knowledge they received, living out a walk worthy of the Lord.

This is a familiar pattern, repeated over and over again in the New Testament. Our walk is based on our knowledge of God and our understanding of His will.

Being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God is how we can be fully pleasing to God and how we can have a worthy walk.

This is an echo of Jesus’ thought in John 15:7-8: If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

“‘Fruitful in every good work.’ Here is room and range enough – in ‘every good work.’ Have you the ability to preach the gospel? Preach it! Does a little child need comforting? Comfort it! Can you stand up and vindicate a glorious truth before thousands? Do it! Does a poor saint need a bit of dinner from your table? Send it to her. Let works of obedience, testimony, zeal, charity, piety, and philanthropy all be found in your life. Do not select big things as your special line, but glorify the Lord also in the littles – ‘fruitful in every good work.’” (Spurgeon)

As we walk worthy of the Lord, His strength is there to help us meet all of life’s challenges and to endure and overcome problems with circumstances (patience) and people (longsuffering) with joy.

Prompt: Pray Colossians 1:9-11. Pray for a friend to know God’s will, increase in the knowledge of God, and be fruitful in every good work. Ask someone to pray this for you.

Based on the Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik.