Dear Church,
On Sunday we studied one of the prayers of Paul. Allow me to remind you of the key points.
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.
Paul was very pastoral in his prayers on behalf of the people he was ministering to. I this prayer, he prayed for the people of the Colossian church to have:
Spiritual Intelligence
Fruitful Obedience
Spirit-filled Endurance
SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE-In verse 9 Paul said he was praying that they would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Paul didn’t want people to be misled by false teachers. They didn’t just need to know what God’s will was, but they needed to understand how that could play out in their individual lives.
Second, Paul prayed for them to have FRUITFUL OBEDIENCE. Verse 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 . . .”
Knowing about God and discerning truth in spiritual matters, having a personal and growing faith, all of that is well and good and necessary, but if it doesn’t translate into obedience and a life that bears fruit we have missed the will of God for our lives. We are to not only know about Christ but to become like Him, exhibiting His character qualities in the world.
The third thing Paul prayed they would possess was SPIRIT-FILLED ENDURANCE. There are two ways to express endurance. The first way is to grit your teeth and bear something; you know, just get through it. When you do that, you are operating in your own power and by your own will. And then there is endurance with character and maturity; endurance with patience and joy in the process. We don’t have to endure alone or in our own strength and power! Paul said, “God help the members of the Colossian church to live well and end well through the power of your Spirit. Help them see this as a race to run even more than a prize to win.
Spiritual Intelligence
Fruitful Obedience
Spirit-filled Endurance
Could you use any of these in your life today? Can you pray the prayer for yourself that God prayed for the Colossian church?
Praying for you as you read this message. You are loved!
Pastor Melissa
Teays Valley Church of God
6979 Teays Valley Rd, Scott Depot, WV 25560
Melissa@tvcog.org
304-757-9222
www.tvcog.org
