Colossians 1:9-12 9 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. 10 And we pray this in order that 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, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
When I read this prayer, I hear Paul saying, “I want you to live full and fruitful.”
Full of Knowledge
He prayed that the Colossians would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will. Knowing and doing the will of God will lead you to be Strong in Purpose. People who pursue and live out the will of God are the ones who will live the most full and purposeful life. There is a prerequisite for knowing the will of God; and it’s this – being willing to do it.
Strong in Power (Holy Spirit)
Colossians 1:11 speaks about being strengthened with all power. I want my kids to know they can be filled with power to overcome temptation. They can be filled with power to stand up for what is right. They can be filled with power to be courageous in any situation. They can be filled with power to be witnesses for Christ. They can be filled with power to learn something new, conquer any challenge, and go wherever God leads.
When you pray for the power of the Holy Spirit, you are praying to be torn apart and remade. You are praying not for power to manipulate others, but for power to yield yourself completely to God. You are praying for power to get out of the way and to let go of your agenda. You are praying for an ability to empty yourself so that you can be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God! (Ephesians 3:19) You don’t become powerful when you are filled with the Spirit. You become nothing so that the immeasurable and incomprehensible power of God has full control of you and can flow without limitation through you in miraculous ways. To seek the Spirit’s power is to seek to be made new and to be used of God.
Verse 10 of Paul’s prayer talks about living a fruitful life: And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work,
So, in addition to praying that your kids will live a full life, pray they will live a fruitful one. Pray they will take initiative, work hard, develop their skills and excel in their vocation, but also pray for them to understand that their highest goal, their highest aim should be to produce fruit for the Kingdom of God. You see, we aren’t meant to simply be filled up with the knowledge of God and the power of God for ourselves, but we are to be filled so that we can become Fruitful.
God desires that we become fruitful both in our doing and in our being, both in our works and in our character. What we do and who we are will both speak to others about who God is if we have been filled up with Him.
Strong in Doing (Good Works)
Ephesians 2:10 tells us we have been created anew in Christ Jesus to do good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do. Notice what Acts 10:38 says, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”
Can you see the order of events here? Jesus got full and then He became fruitful. He was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power (got full) and then He went around doing good. Christianity isn’t merely about believing, but it is about becoming. It isn’t simply about faith, but it is about action. What we do shows who we really are and what we believe. Our actions back up our beliefs.
Strong in Being (endurance and patience)
Verses 11 and 12 again: that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father…
The world needs the witness of Christians who won’t give up on God when life is tough. They need to see the heart of a Christian warrior who will pray without ceasing. They need to see believers who will live with fortitude and patience, people who exhibit joy even in the midst of adversity.
Let’s pray our kids’ lives will be full and fruitful. Let’s ask God to help them know and do His will, to fill them with His Holy Spirit and power and to do good works and exhibit righteous character.
