COLOSSIANS
Chapter 1, Verses 10-12
(8-21-16)
To download the audio recording of this sermon, click here: Paul’s Prayer For You (Audio)
To see the video recording of this message, click here: Paul’s Prayer For You – Sermon on Colossians 1:10-12
Review: “How To Get On Paul’s Every Day Prayer List!”
Colossians 1:3-4, 8-9) [KJV] We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4) Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
NOTE: Paul always prayed for them because he heard of their faith in God and love for God’s people.
1 John 3:18-23) [KJV] My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
19) And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
20) For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
21) Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
22) And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
23) And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
8) Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
QUESTION: What had Epaphras told Paul about the Colossian believers?
ANSWER: He had told Paul that the Colossian believers truly had the love of God for one another.
9) For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
QUESTION: What do we learn here?
ANSWER: Vs. 3-4 are reinforced. Paul, and his entourage, constantly prayed for these believers because they were walking out the message of loving one another.
This Week’s Lesson: “Paul’s Prayer For You!”
NOTE: Paul’s prayer for the Colossian believers begins in vs. 9:
Colossians 1:9) For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
QUESTION: What did Paul ask God to do for these believers who loved His people?
ANSWER: He asked God to fill them “with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” He saw potential in them and began to pray that that potential would be fulfilled in them.
NOTE: Paul prays for these believers; and his prayers for them are based on his personal desires for them. He desires that they would “be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;” so he prays that God will do this for them.
Colossians 1:10-12) [KJV] That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
(ERV) that this will help you live in a way that brings honor to the Lord and pleases him in every way; that your life will produce good works of every kind and that you will grow in your knowledge of God;
“walk worthy of the Lord” – “Certainly this result is the aim of the right knowledge of God. ‘The end of all knowledge is conduct’ (Lightfoot)” [Robertson].
QUESTION: What did Paul desire for/pray for these Colossian believers in vs. 9-10?
* He wanted them to understand God’s will in a way that affected their wisdom and understanding of Spiritual things.
* He wanted their love for God to be reflected in their conduct; he wanted them to want to live right because they loved God.
* He wanted their love for people to be reflected in doing good works to help those people.
* He wanted them to know more about God, and to know God better
11) Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
(ERV) that God will strengthen you with his own great power, so that you will be patient and not give up when troubles come. Then you will be happy
QUESTION: What did Paul desire for/pray for these Colossian believers in vs. 11?
* He wanted them to be strong in the Lord.
* He wanted them to understand that strength comes to them from God’s power.
* He wanted them to walk in this strength that comes from God so that they would experience patience in difficult times that would enable them to keep on keeping on.
* He wanted them to experience joy in every situation.
NOTE: There have been, probably currently are, and definitely will be things in our lives that we wish weren’t there. They will require God’s strength at work in us in order to endure them with patience.
12) Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
(ERV) and give thanks to the Father. He has made you able to have what he has promised to give all his holy people, who live in the light.
QUESTION: What did Paul desire for/pray for these Colossian believers in vs. 12?
* He wanted them to give thanks, in any and every situation they face, rather good or bad, to God for counting them worthy to inherit the Kingdom of God.
* He wanted them to know that God has promised them Heaven.
QUESTION: Why should we joyfully give thanks to God if undesirable things are happening in our lives?
ANSWER: He has made us fit for/worthy of Heaven!
NOTE: Paul prayed for very similar things for the Ephesian believers:
Ephesians 1:15-20) [KJV] Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
16) Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
17) That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19) And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
QUESTION: What did Paul desire for/pray for these Ephesian believers in vs. 17-20?
* He prayed that God would give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.
* He prayed that their eyes of understanding would be enlightened.
* He prayed that they would know what the hope of God’s calling on their lives was.
* He prayed that they would know that they would inherit an incredibly glorious life in Heaven.
* He prayed that they would know the exceeding greatness of God’s power that was at work in their lives.
* He prayed that they would know that the power of God at work in their lives was the same power God exercised when he raised Jesus from the dead.
NOTE: In both cases Paul desired and prayed these things for the believers because he heard of their faith in Christ Jesus and their love for the saints.
ANOTHER NOTE: Paul’s prayer for the Colossian believers centered a little more on the issue of love than his prayer for the Ephesian believers did.
QUESTION: Didn’t Paul pray similar things for the believers who were lacking in faith and love?
ANSWER: I’m sure he did; but he prayed more often for those who were full of faith and love.
QUESTION: Why?
ANSWER: This group of believers who were full of faith and love had far greater Spiritual potential than the group who weren’t.
A CLOSING NOTE: Faith and love are the essentials for the Christian faith. If you don’t walk in these 2 things then you’re hardly ready for Spiritual maturity.