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;

Praying With Purpose (three prayer requests)

Paul says, in vs 9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you. First he tells them I am praying consistently, faithfully and exhaustively for you. I’m praying always.

Then he tells them specifically what he is going to God and interceding for. Three things first in vs 9 to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;. Second in Vs. 10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;  and finally in vs. 11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

First, he is asking God to fill them with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. This is real knowledge, true knowledge, true understanding as opposed to the knowledge or gnosis that was being introduced into the church by false teachers.

Second, that filling of true knowledge would enable them to walk worthy of the Lord always pleasing Him, because they would make them fruitful in every good work and increase more in their personal, firsthand, experiential knowledge of God.

Third, He is asking the Lord to strengthen them with all might, (that is strength sufficient to any task or work for the Lord) and that this would be through the channel of God’s glorious power and result in all sufficient patience and longsuffering. These two words both mean forbearance, but patience has the idea of cheerful, expectant waiting of the Lord, while longsuffering is the power of endurance in the midst of trials. He qualifies the gift of patience and longsuffering as coming packed in joyfulness. Not always where we think trials and suffering will bring us but according to Paul’s prayer that is exactly where it should bring us, to joyfulness.

Then in the last 3 verses we will cover this morning, we come to Paul’s plan for his epistle and for the Colossians. Look at vs. 12

Paul’s Plan (To exalt Christ)

He gave thanks first to the Lord for the saints at Colosse, but now he is giving thanks to God for blessings of salvation through Jesus Christ.

He says, in vs. 12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (made us worthy) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: (what a phrase to describe such a blessing. We are worthy of the inheritance of sanctified one and that inheritance is the light of salvation)

Paul goes on in vs. 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (We have been delivered, the word means draw out from, rescued from, like a man being saved from a raging river by someone who pulls him from that death.) Not only have we been rescued from the power darkness but we have also been “translated.” Translated means not only have the Colossians being saved from the power of darkness but they have been transferred, from that kingdom of dark power into the kingdom of the Lord’s light.)

Paul then brings us back to the source of our deliverance, our salvation and our translation and the purpose for his letter. In vs 14 In whom (in God’s dear son, Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, in him) we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Paul finishes his prayer by saying its all about Jesus. Jesus paid the price for our redemption, buying us back from sin and death at the cost of his own life and shed blood. It is Jesus who has brought us forgiveness of sins. He is the preeminent prince of peace and the righteous ruler of redemption. It all begins with Jesus, it all comes down to Jesus, it is all about Jesus and one day it will all end with Jesus.

Paul in his letter to the Philippians in chapter 2:9-11 wrote, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Summit In The Savior

What Paul prayed and planned for the Colossians in this letter centuries ago, is still what the Holy Spirit is working toward in us today. Do you want to know what you should be aiming at, what your goal of life should be? Well, it right here in this sublime intercession of Paul.

Be filled with the true knowledge of God’s will. Seek wisdom and spiritual understanding.

Seek those because that is how you will walk worthy of the Lord, those things equip us so that we will be fruitful in the Lord’s good work. And be able to continue to grow in the knowledge of our Father in heaven.

In our prayers, our worship, our studies go to God and find His might, and in that might we will have the joy of enduring the trials and suffering of this world.

Be thankful because we have been delivered from power of darkness, made inheritors with the saints in the kingdom of the Lord’s light. We have been delivered, we have been transferred, we have been redeemed and we have been forgiven all by the dear Son of God, our Savior and the one we should recognize and bow before as Lord of All.

Is Jesus all those things to all of us this morning? Is He savior, redeemer and Lord in our hearts, our souls and our lives?