COLOSSIANS 1:9-12 - MAGNIFICENT PRAYER

Photo courtesy of Robert Young

Once again Paul voices 

a magnificent prayer

Entrusting the Colossians 

to God’s tender care.

He asks God to fill them 

with wisdom and understanding

And to strengthen them for tasks 

that may be demanding.

He prays they’ll bear fruit 

and walk worthy of the Lord,

Growing in the knowledge 

of God through the word.

Let this be a model 

of how we should pray

For our spiritual and biological 

children each day.

And, Lord, I pray that you’ll also 

work these things in me

And help me to be all 

You’d have me to be.

“…we have not stopped praying for you 

and asking God to fill you

with the knowledge of his will 

through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

And we pray this in order that you 

may live a life worthy of the Lord

and may 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 joyfully giving thanks to the Father,

who has qualified you to share in the inheritance 

of the saints in the kingdom of light.

Colossians 1:9-12 (NIV)

epignōsis¹⁹²² – recognition, i.e. (by impl.) full discernment, acknowledgment:-, ac-)knowledge(-ing,-ment).

dunamis¹⁴¹¹ – force (lit. or fig.); spec. miraculous power (usually by impl. a miracle itself): - ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle(-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.

            Paul’s prayers constantly challenge me to be more specific and bold in my own. When God gives me the opportunity to encourage another believer, I need to pray for her to grow in full discernment of the Lord. I need to pray that the Holy Spirit will so reveal himself to her that she will have greater understanding of God’s word and his ways. I should pray for Christ’s miraculous power to be real in her life and enable her to do good works in his name. I should encourage her to endure all things the Lord brings her through and let her know that I joyfully thank God for her salvation.

            Like the other prayers I’ve read in Ephesians and Philippians, this one shows me specific ways to pray for my children as well. As I write this, my daughter is interviewing for a ministry position and needing to discern God’s will concerning this opportunity. Tonight I will pray the prayer above inserting her name.  My son is serving in the army in Iraq. He needs to be certain of the presence of the Lord and to be infused with God’s power in order to endure. I most certainly will insert his name in the verses above as well. My son’s wife is expecting their second child, and I’m sure she could use great patience while her husband is so far away in a dangerous place. Paul’s prayer for the Colossians will become my prayer for my family tonight.

            Father, I thank you for the salvation of my children and for entrusting them to my care for the brief time they were in my home. I pray that they will grow in their understanding of your will and your ways and be strengthened with your mighty power to face all that lies ahead for them. Thank you for watching over them. Help them to live worthy of you and to be thankful. (written in 2007 by Susie Hale)