I enjoy meditating on Paul’s prayers to the churches.
I can’t imagine someone sitting in a dark cell, knowing that the next day his life might end, and being able to put together amazing doctrinal truths and Godly principles for life. Of course, the Holy Spirit was guiding him, but he had to respond in obedience.
He only had some kind of parchment and a quill to work with. But more amazing is we have it in hand to read and apply today. Human nature has not changed that much in 2000 years. There is still selfishness, pride, lust, and the desire for pleasure and power.
One of my favorite prayers is Col. 1:9-12. It is a little hard to determine where the prayer ends and teaching begins. But let’s look at these verses:
“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. And we pray this in order 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, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so you may have great endurance and patience and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.”
When placed alongside my puny efforts at prayer, I feel a little embarrassed. He had not started or visited that church, but he had learned from Epaphras of some false teaching which was threatening the infant church. In the prayer he does not deal with the heresy but simply sets forth some basic concerns for their spiritual growth, describing some essentials that would provide a defense from any false teaching.
His first concern is they would have spiritual wisdom and understanding which would lead them to knowledge of the will of God — what should be a first priority in the church and in their lives. In our day of misinformation, half-truths, and quick judgments we would do well to first, earnestly seek the will and ways of God. He has not left us in the dark. Too often we want someone to tell us what to believe instead of doing research, first of all in the Scriptures.
Then Paul’s prayer leads to a result of that knowledge; they would walk worthy of the Lord. The output from that life would result in (1) pleasing God, (2) bearing fruit from the good works they would demonstrate, (3) growing in the knowledge of God — something that is sadly deficient in today’s world, (4) strengthened with all power (remember, their understanding of the Holy Spirit was probably weak, much like today).
All this would then equip them with patience and endurance in dealing with the false teaching they faced. Paul would not let them forget the matter of gratitude — they were now qualified to share in the inheritance that God had prepared for them.
They had been rescued from darkness and brought into the kingdom of light. Their sins had been forgiven and they had been redeemed. That fact must ever be on our minds.
I challenge you to meditate on this prayer, personalize it, and pray it back to God; for those around you and for your own personal growth.
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