How To Pray For Others

How to Pray for Others

Colossians 1:9-14

Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567

When boldly approaching God’s throne of grace ever wonder how one should pray for others? Coming “face to face” with an all-powerful and all-knowing God the last thing one wants to do is to babble like the pagans, using many words of repetition without consideration of their spiritual meaning (Matthew 6:7), or ask for things for loved ones that would actually hurt rather than help them! Prayer is powerful and effective (James 5:16) but only when given in the Spirit and in accordance with God’s truth (Ephesians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 14:15). Living in a fallen world where truth is situationally dependent on situations that tend to change with the shifting sands of culture, means above all intercessory prayer must go beyond asking for superficial, temporal comfort but instead focus on what eternally matters, knowing and following God’s will in one’s life. In today passage Apostle Paul gives us an example of his intercessory prayer for the Colossians. He started his prayer by asking God that the Colossians would not formulate truth based on cultural norms but stand firm and be filled with the absolute truth of the Gospel message. Paul then prayed that the church at Colossae would live their lives worthy of the Lord by bearing fruit, growing in the knowledge of God, strengthened by God and forever joyful for the deliverance and inheritance they were about to receive. In today’s sermon we are going to look at each of these components of Paul’s prayer for the Colossians not with the intent of “babbling” it mechanically but to use it as a model of how one can effectively intercede for our loved ones before a holy God!

Historical Setting

Before going to Paul’s intercessory prayer, it is important to first learn the historical context of Colossae to whom it was addressed. While Paul commended the Colossians for having borne great fruit and their deep love in the Spirit (verses 6-10), he warned them that they were in danger of turning away from the Gospel to believe in mere human, false teachings! False teachers told the Colossians they “needed something more than their relationship with Jesus” to bring them into the presence of God. They taught that the key to defeating the demons that ran rampant in their world and the key to approaching God could only be found in receiving “special knowledge” as obtained from legalism or mystical experiences. This heresy was the beginning of second-century Gnosticism which falsely claimed that salvation was to be found in special knowledge, not a risen Saviour! “Whatever claims the false philosophy might make, whatever knowledge, wisdom, or experience might be to offer,” Paul stated would not lead to pleasing God. He encouraged the church of Colossae to remember and stay fast to the Gospel message that they had received from his coworker Epaphras. Spurred on by their progress and the possibility of their falling prey to these false teachings, Paul felt it necessary to intercede in prayer on their behalf.

Pray they will be Filled with Knowledge of God’s Will (verse 9)

To fully “understand God’s grace” Paul prayed that the church of Colossae might be filled with knowledge of God’s will. The knowledge they were to be filled with was not “some speculative of intellectual gnosis that was characteristic of the false teachers of their day“ but God’s will for their lives. 1 John 5:14 states if we ask for anything according to God’s will then He will not only hear but grant our request! While knowing God’s will in the Old Testament came primarily from the law, priestly ministry and Urim and Thummin, Paul made it clear to the Colossians that knowing God’s will was now attainable through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. “The Spirit is the source of the wisdom and understanding that the Colossians require as they negotiate their way through the maze of first-century worldview options.” One was not saved by being filled by this knowledge, but to grow beyond fundamentals (Hebrews 5:12, 14) and avoid falsehoods, one must be filled with the truth as divinely given by the Spirit. To be filled with the knowledge of God’s will suggests that “such knowledge was to pervade all of one’s being – thoughts, affections, purposes and plans.” Being filled also meant for Paul that the Colossians might “experience what God wanted for them” and thus would mean their lives would be enriched and they would “live in a way that befits God’s children.”

Pray they will Live a Life Worthy of the Calling (verses 10-12)

In the first part of verse ten Apostle Paul prayed that the Spirit-given insight into the will of God (1 Corinthians 2:6-16) would produce in the Colossians an “attitudinal realignment” in their walk as co-workers with Christ (Ephesians 2:10). Since “walking was a Semitic idiom for lifestyle” (Exodus 18:20; Psalms 86:11), “knowledge was not to be merely theoretical but practical as well.” One of the reasons why the Gospels give details of the life of Christ is to invite believers to become His hands and feet by doing deeds in accordance with the will of the Father. Paul prayed that the Colossians might be filled with the knowledge of the will of God not to boast in having acquired teaching unique to themselves but to humbly allow His will to formulate their every thought, word and deed. While “Paul did not hesitate to commend good works (Rom. 3:7; 13:3; 2 Cor. 9:8; Gal. 6:10; Phil. 1:6; 2 Thess. 2:17; Eph. 2:10), he made it abundantly clear that it was not by works but faith and grace that one was saved (Ephesians 2:8-9). Daily giving Christ His “eternal due” by imitating His desire to live a life according to the will of the Father was the key for the Colossians to honor and please their Creator. Let us now turn to the four elements of living a life worthy of the calling that Paul now prays for the Colossians: they would bear much fruit, grow in knowledge of God, be strengthened, be given the ability to patiently endure hardships, and a heart of joyful thanks.