9And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
11May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,
12giving thanks£ to the Father, who has qualified you£ to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
13He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
If you are like me I don't know how to pray for some of my brothers. I run out of the words to say or the knowledge of what is going on in their lives. Sometimes, I lose touch or we don't see each other for quite awhile. How can I pray for someone in a way in which it will be a blessing to them? I love how Paul prays for the Colossians here in the following verses.
- Pray without ceasing. II Thess. 5:17 (Never give up in our prayers and ask the Lord to bring them to your mind continually.
- Pray, that they maybe filled with the knowledge of His will. Lord, help my friend to discern what you would have them to do that would bring more glory to your name.
- Pray, that they will walk worthy of the Lord. God give them a pure testimony before all men. Help them to walk in a way that they will be able to give you all the glory.
- Pray, that they will be fully pleasing to the Lord. Our greatest pleasure should be that of living a life that will please Him not in part, but, in all that we do.
- Pray, that they will bear fruit. This is something that none of us can do on our own. Bearing fruit can only be produced by the Spirit of God's empowerment. It is hard to love someone who hates you, but the fruit of the Spirit, borne out in a believer's life, can cause us to love all men.
- Pray, that they will continue to grow in their knowledge of who Christ is. I don't ever want to be satisfied with the, "norm." I do not want to be satisfied with my walk. I want to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering.
- Pray, that God will allow them to grow in strength through the power of the Spirit of God. (Eph. 6:10) I need to pray for their strength, so that they may endure, be patient and have joy in the midst of it all.
- Pray, with a thankful heart for them. How? Look at these three things...He has qualified them to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. (John 1:12, Romans 8) They have been made into Children of the Light of the world. Secondly, They have been delivered from being slaves of sin and darkness. Lastly, He has translated them into the kingdom of His son. We are no longer citizens of this earth but rather citizens of heaven.
- Pray, with a word of praise upon your lips for them. Why? We have been redeemed and forgiven of our sin.
What an incredible prayer for others. I want to learn to pray this way for others. I hope you will pray for me this way to.
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