by Barbara Latta
Have you ever felt like your prayers were empty? I have. When I realized all my prayers were for God to meet my needs, take care of a problem, or change a circumstance, I found out I was praying wrong.
Paul the Apostle prayed many prayers for the saints in the
New Testament Church.
What does the prayer to the Colossian believers mean to us?
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do
not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge
of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy
of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing
in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious
power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father
who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the
light. (Colossians 1:9-12 NKJV)
One day the light came on when I read how the Apostle Paul
prayed for the saints he ministered to. I saw that his prayers for them were
for spiritual insight rather than for physical needs.
Paul used the power of the Holy Spirit to heal people, cast out demons, and receive provision. He told the Philippians that God would supply their needs (Philippians 4:19). But he didn’t pray to God for this. He told them God’s faithfulness would come to them because of the seeds they had sown into his ministry.
And in the case of where Paul pleaded with God about the thorn in his flesh, it is addressed in a previous post.
Does this mean we aren't to pray about our needs?
No, we are told in 1 Peter 5:7 to cast our care on Him because
He cares for us.
When we increase in the knowledge
of God, we will be so filled with His wisdom we can receive the things we need
by knowing He has already provided them for us. It is up to us to draw out of
His wisdom to live in the Spirit's power.
Here are 4 principles we can glean from Paul’s prayers:
1. Be filled with the knowledge of God’s will. 1 Corinthians 2:10 tells us God has revealed His will to us by His Spirit.
How do we receive this knowledge? Renew our minds to God’s way of thinking and don’t let the world’s view transform us (Romans 12:1-2).
2. Walk worthy of the Lord. If you are like me, when I read that I immediately thought, “Well, I’m not worthy.” None of us are in ourselves. Worthy here means to walk after a godly sort. When we do this, we will be fruitful in good works.
But according to Strong’s 5281 definition in the Blue Letter Bible, patience is cheerful or hopeful endurance. Patience is remaining steadfast in what we believe even when under pressure.
Jesus gave the Parable
of the Sower in Mark chapter 4 to illustrate how satan tries to steal the word
from us by putting trials and pressure on us. If we remain faithful to God
during these times, this is what patience and longsuffering means. We obtain
the ability to do this by increasing in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior.
4. Be thankful. He made us partakers of Christ’s inheritance.
There is nothing greater than that for us to be thankful for. Verse 13 of
Colossians chapter one goes on to tell us we have been translated from the
kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s Son. What a gift to rejoice
about!
When we pray for spiritual enlightenment and strength, we
will also be able to receive the fulfillment of the physical and material needs
we have. As we study the other prayers of the Apostle Paul, we will find a
common thread in what he asked God to provide for the saints.
We can fulfill our roles as Titus 2 women who encourage and educate by learning to pray the way Paul did.
What points can you add to what we learn from Paul’s prayer?
Join the conversation.
TWEETABLES
What do the prayers of the Apostle Paul mean to us today?(click to tweet)
How can we be filled with the knowledge of God’s will?(click to tweet)
We can bear fruit in every good work and grow in the knowledge of God.
ReplyDeleteThis is my desire, to bear good fruit for His kingdom and to continue to grow in the knowledge of God..
This my prayer also. The more we grow in knowledge of Christ the more fruit we will produce. Thanks for stopping by and sharing. Blessings!
DeleteYour message is a wonderful reminder for how to focus our prayers. I also find myself sometimes primarily praying for my own needs. You've encouraged us to pray for spiritual enlightenment and strength. By asking for discernment and direction as to how we can best serve our Lord, along with the strength and perseverance to follow through on His purpose, we can be in His will for our lives.
ReplyDeleteYes, Katherine, as we grow in the knowledge of our Lord, we will be able to discern His will and follow His direction. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Blessings!
DeleteI love this post! We need to pursue God's wisdom and pray it for others. So important!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Nancy. You are right, we do need to pursue God's wisdom so we will know how to minister to others. Blessings!
DeleteAnother great post that's full of encouragement and inspiration Ms. Barbara. I think intercessory prayer is an honor and privilege for Christians, and it's so important to remember that not everything in prayer needs to be "an ask." Sometimes, merely heaping deserved praise, honor, and gratitude upon God and thanking Him for guiding others, like you, who pour into our lives is just as important.
ReplyDeleteJ.D., you are always so encouraging to everyone. Thanks for sharing and reminding us that we do need to heap praise and gratitude upon God. You are another person who God uses to pour into the lives of others. Blessings!
DeleteThanks Barbara for addressing some of the issues prayer brings up. I love Paul's prayers and they are a reminder to me that prayer is about God first and foremost.
ReplyDeleteSylvia, I love Paul's prayers as well. They do remind us to place our focus in the right place when we approach our heavenly Father. Thanks for sharing. Blessings!
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