Colossians 1:9

NASB: For this reason we also, since the day we heard about it, have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

NRSVUE: For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

VOICE: Since the day we got this good news about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We ask: Father, may they clearly know Your will and achieve the height and depth of spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Prayer for the Body of Believers

Paul learned that the Colossian church positively reported to the message of Christ and the Spirit-produced love. Paul kept the Colossian church in his heart, sharing his care and concerns to God. Paul wanted to have His leadership not be about teaching and sermons, but on true intercession. Only God can establish us through truth and fruitfulness. Paul asks God that He would give them what they need, forming their minds, desires, actions, and discernment on the foundation of God’s truth.

God’s will includes salvation through Christ and the changed direction for those that find redemption. This allows Christians to recognize what is pleasing to God and to resist what is not. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom for how to live according to God’s revealed will and understanding what that looks like in our lives today. This wisdom equips the community of believers to distinguish the truth from human judgment and to walk faithfully in a world that rebels against God’s command.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: This prayer of Paul is something all of us can lean into. How can you embrace God’s knowledge, wisdom, and understanding?

Knowledge

What is knowledge? No, this isn’t the start to a deep philosophical lesson that questions everything we know. The word that Paul uses to describe knowledge embraces something that is precise, complete, and experiential. It’s a part of God’s relationship and is inherently moral and practical. Paul wants the Colossian church to be saturated in this knowledge rather than just being aware of it. God’s will, the image of Jesus and His creation, and the wisdom from the Holy Spirit creates the foundation of what we understand about Christianity. Because of Christ’s resurrection, His divine stature authenticates the truth of Scripture. Wisdom is a broad, grounded insight that comes from a placee of knowledge.

Knowledge, in Paul’s eyes, is something that produces fruitful good works, increases your personal knowledge of God, and gives you strength to endure the trials of life with joy. Knowledge comes from understanding God’s command and will that is shown through His teachings and through Christ’s ministry. Knowledge comes from a place where we can live out these teachings through what we say and do. It helps us understand it means to live a life that is reflecting Jesus’s ministry and teachings into our world. It’s not an easy process, so we must be willing to endure. This will look different person-to-person, but it shows that the struggles we may face is a sign that we are trying to live according to God’s will. Because of that, we can find joy in these struggles because we are trying to live a right-standing life.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How can you grow your knowledge in Christ?

0

Likes So Far (click to like the blog)