Colossians 1:9-14
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. 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. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
We pray for the people we love. In fact, prayer is one of the most powerful ways we show love to others, even if they don’t ever hear us praying for them. We pray for our children and for our parents. We pray for our friends and for our church family. We pray for people we see every day and for people who live far away. We pray because we believe that God listens to us and that, somehow in the spiritual realities of God’s world, our prayers actually make a difference. They open the door to release God’s power to change the lives of people we love.
Paul’s description of how he prayed for the Colossian church can give us a roadmap for our own prayers. We often pray about immediate needs, like health concerns or other troubles we know someone is facing. Those types of prayers are important. But look again at what Paul prayed for on behalf of the Colossian believers: knowledge of God’s will, wisdom from the Spirit, fruitful ministry, power from God, patience, joy and salvation. It’s a pretty wonderful prayer list, isn’t it? How would you feel if you knew someone was praying that God would give you these things? Blessed, I hope.
We should pray for others the way Paul prayed for the Colossians. It’s good to pray for immediate needs, but don’t limit your prayers to the latest worries and problems. Pray for big things. Pray for God’s will to be done on earth and in the lives of the people you love. Pray for the church to be led by the Spirit and to be fruitful in ministry. Pray that your family and friends will have the assurance of salvation and will grow in their knowledge of God. I hope people pray these things for me! These are prayers that change hearts and expand the Kingdom. These are prayers that bring revival and unleash God’s power. These are prayers God loves to hear and will always answer, according to his will and in the name of Jesus.Thank You, Father, for listening to my prayers and for accomplishing Your perfect will in my life. May You bless the people around me and Your church with strength to serve You and with wisdom to bear fruit in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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Pastor Mike Mirakian
