Daily Scripture: Colossians 1:9 Therefore, from the day we heard of it, we have not stopped praying for you, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all the wisdom and understanding which the Spirit gives; 10 so that you may live lives worthy of the Lord and entirely pleasing to him, being fruitful in every good work and multiplying in the full knowledge of God. 11 We pray that you will be continually strengthened with all the power that comes from his glorious might; so that you will be able to persevere and be patient in any situation, joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father for having made you fit to share in the inheritance of his people in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.
14 It is through his Son that we have redemption — that is, our sins have been forgiven.
Reflection Questions:The apostle Paul prayed fervently for believers in Colossae to know God’s will, giving them a model for a key way of seeking to understand God’s will. Paul’s prayer also clearly sketched how people who want to live out God’s will can do so: “by producing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God; by being strengthened through his glorious might so that you endure everything and have patience; and by giving thanks with joy to the Father.”
- Scholar William Barclay wrote, “Wisdom is sophia, which we could call knowledge of first principles. Spiritual understanding is sunesis, which is what the Greeks sometimes described as…the ability to apply first principles to any situation which may arise in life. So Paul is praying that his friends may understand the great truths of Christianity and may be able to apply them to the tasks and decisions which meet them in everyday living.” How did Paul’s prayer for a deep knowledge of God’s will differ from praying, “God, show me which job offer (or other specific option) to accept”?
- Paul’s prayer for Christians to know God’s will dealt with the big picture rather than a lot of specific details. “Producing fruit” (verse 10) was a way to describe a new, wholly different lifestyle. In what ways do many of your specific choices grow out of your larger decisions about your lifestyle? In what ways will a lifestyle oriented to God’s will shape your life differently from a lifestyle built solely around pleasing yourself?
Dear Jesus, this day I come to you, “asking that I be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, with all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” May my thoughts, my words and my actions all be consistent with your will. Amen.Insights from Brandon Gregory
Brandon Gregory is a volunteer for the worship and missions teams at Church of the Resurrection. He helps lead worship at the Vibe, West, and Downtown services, and is involved with the Malawi missions team at home.
In today’s passage (Colossians 1:9-14), Paul lays out a prayer for growing to be worthy of God and pleasing to Him. This is very different from the prayers we pray for a world worthy of us, pleasing to us. Paul’s prayer is focused on the people he is praying for, not their circumstances, or their jobs, or their romantic partners, or anything else around them–just them. The prayers we should be praying most are inwardly-focused, more concerned with what we could and should be doing than what God could do for us. Let’s take a closer look.
The first thing he prays is for this group of people to “[bear] fruit in every good work.” Notice this is the first thing he prays. I know, for me, it is often the last, if it makes the list at all. I’m often amazed how often this prayer works–when I pray on the way to lunch for God to use me and I bump into some coworkers and invite them to church, or a random store clerk opens up to me about her father’s divorce. But I still find it hard to remember to pray this. It should be the first thing I pray every morning.
Paul then asks God for these people to grow in the knowledge of God. I do spend some time in scriptures each week on my own; but intentionality goes a long way in learning. If I go into a study asking God to show me something, I wonder how much more I would get out of my quiet moments of contemplation.
It’s only once we do these first two things that we have need of the third: additional strength from God to accomplish what needs to be done. Tonight, as I’m writing this, I’ll admit–I’m exhausted. Right after work, my son had a doctor’s appointment, then I barely had enough time to get dinner before leaving for a three-hour band practice. I got home after 11:00 and I’m just now sitting down to write this. And my schedule is always this crazy. I know there are a lot of people out there that feel my pain–time and energy are precious. Instead of complaining about how busy our lives are, what if we first prayed for God to give us the strength to endure? What if we prayed for God to give us patience and endurance to even take on more? I know there’s a breaking point, and diminishing returns–but without praying that, how will we know? I can’t promise boundless energy and magical extra time in the day, but this should be our first response, not complaining about it.
Lastly, Paul prays that the Colossians would give thanks joyfully. How often do we start a prayer with a thank you? There are countless articles on the mental benefits of gratefulness, and we have so much to thank God for, but many of the prayers we pray focus on asking God for more things. I could thank God every day for something and still not have enough time to thank Him for everything He’s given me.
I’m still learning to pray these things for myself; but the amazing thing here is that Paul isn’t praying for himself–he’s praying for a church far away with people he’d met a long time ago. I don’t get around to praying much for others unless it’s about health, careers, or family matters. Praying these things for my friends, for my pastors, for my coworkers, could change the way I see them and live my life for them. This week, make Paul’s prayer your prayer, not just for yourself, but for others in your life you hold dear. Ask for real change and hope for the difference it will make.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
In today’s passage (Colossians 1:9-14), Paul lays out a prayer for growing to be worthy of God and pleasing to Him. This is very different from the prayers we pray for a world worthy of us, pleasing to us. Paul’s prayer is focused on the people he is praying for, not their circumstances, or their jobs, or their romantic partners, or anything else around them–just them. The prayers we should be praying most are inwardly-focused, more concerned with what we could and should be doing than what God could do for us. Let’s take a closer look.
The first thing he prays is for this group of people to “[bear] fruit in every good work.” Notice this is the first thing he prays. I know, for me, it is often the last, if it makes the list at all. I’m often amazed how often this prayer works–when I pray on the way to lunch for God to use me and I bump into some coworkers and invite them to church, or a random store clerk opens up to me about her father’s divorce. But I still find it hard to remember to pray this. It should be the first thing I pray every morning.
Paul then asks God for these people to grow in the knowledge of God. I do spend some time in scriptures each week on my own; but intentionality goes a long way in learning. If I go into a study asking God to show me something, I wonder how much more I would get out of my quiet moments of contemplation.
It’s only once we do these first two things that we have need of the third: additional strength from God to accomplish what needs to be done. Tonight, as I’m writing this, I’ll admit–I’m exhausted. Right after work, my son had a doctor’s appointment, then I barely had enough time to get dinner before leaving for a three-hour band practice. I got home after 11:00 and I’m just now sitting down to write this. And my schedule is always this crazy. I know there are a lot of people out there that feel my pain–time and energy are precious. Instead of complaining about how busy our lives are, what if we first prayed for God to give us the strength to endure? What if we prayed for God to give us patience and endurance to even take on more? I know there’s a breaking point, and diminishing returns–but without praying that, how will we know? I can’t promise boundless energy and magical extra time in the day, but this should be our first response, not complaining about it.
Lastly, Paul prays that the Colossians would give thanks joyfully. How often do we start a prayer with a thank you? There are countless articles on the mental benefits of gratefulness, and we have so much to thank God for, but many of the prayers we pray focus on asking God for more things. I could thank God every day for something and still not have enough time to thank Him for everything He’s given me.
I’m still learning to pray these things for myself; but the amazing thing here is that Paul isn’t praying for himself–he’s praying for a church far away with people he’d met a long time ago. I don’t get around to praying much for others unless it’s about health, careers, or family matters. Praying these things for my friends, for my pastors, for my coworkers, could change the way I see them and live my life for them. This week, make Paul’s prayer your prayer, not just for yourself, but for others in your life you hold dear. Ask for real change and hope for the difference it will make.
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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