What are you praying for? What do you pray for yourself? What do you pray for others? Are you praying for material possessions? Are you praying for guidance? Do you pray for wisdom and understanding? Do you pray to know the will of God?
We pray for many things. We often pray for personal blessings or decisions in this world. In fact, they often have very little to do with God’s work. Praying to know His will for our lives or what we need to do to fulfill His plan is far too often low on our priority, if thought about at all.
Read today’s passage, then read it again. The Apostle Paul and his companions were praying continually for God’s will and His blessings to equip the church in Colossae for His work. They prayed that the church would bear fruit and be granted the strength and power of God to do so. Isn’t that amazing?
What do you suppose would happen in our churches if we prayed as Paul prayed? Perhaps we would see amazing ministries going on. Perhaps we would see our members filled to overflowing with the Spirit of God. Maybe, just maybe, we would see our churches flourishing and making a huge difference in our communities.
Would it not be wonderful to make a positive impact on our communities? Would it not be exhilarating to live in the light of the kingdom of God? Wouldn’t it be amazing to live in the knowledge of having an inheritance that cannot be taken away from us? It is all there for us to take hold of. It comes as we give up ourselves and take on Jesus. It comes as we spend time praying earnestly that God reveal His plan and empower us to execute it for Him.
I pray we all pray for wisdom from God. I pray we earnestly seek to know His plan. I pray each one of us will ask God to empower us to carry out His will and give us the courage to do so. Earnestly pray. Ask for wisdom. Ask for understanding. As to be empowered. Ask for courage. Seek to carry out God’s will.
Colossians 1:9b-12 We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.
Marty Pressey 