2 lessons in prayer from Paul to live worthy of the Lord
I. Pray for Christians that You Have Never Met
Colossians 1:4 - …since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus…
Colossians 1:8 - …he also informed us of your love…
Colossians 1:9 - …since the day we heard of it…
A. With thanksgiving
Colossians 1:3 - We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…
Colossians 1:12 - ….joyously giving thanks to the Father.
B. Without ceasing
Colossians 1:3 - …praying always for you…
Colossians 1:9 - …we have not ceased to pray for you…
Romans 1:9-10 - For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making request…
Ephesians 1:15-17 - For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking…
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 - Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
C. Because of how the gospel is bearing fruit and increasing
Colossians 1:4 - …since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints.
Colossians 1:6 - …which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth.
Colossians 1:8 - …your love in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.
II. Ask God to Fill the Church with the Knowledge of His Will
Colossians 1:9 - …we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Ephesians 5:17 - So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
A. For the purpose that we would live a life worthy of the Lord
Colossians 1:10 - …so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects.
1. Bearing fruit in every good work (v.10)
2. Increasing in the knowledge of God (v.10)
John 7:17 - If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.
3. Being strengthened for all steadfastness and patience (v.11)
Colossians 2:12 - …having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
Ephesians 1:18-20 - I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.
Luke 8:15 - But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.
Romans 2:4 - Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
1 Timothy 1:6 - Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.
2 Peter 3:15 - and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you.
Ephesians 4:2-3 - Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
4. Joyfully giving thanks to God the Father (v.12)
B. Because of God’s rescuing work through Jesus
Colossians 1:13-14 - For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
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