ETS: The Apostle had a very special prayer for the Colossians.
ESS: Effective intercessory prayer is specific in its requests.
OSS: Believers will use this Biblical model for intercession.
PQ: How do I pray intercessorily for others?
UW: Requests
INTRODUCTION:
A – This prayer was for other believers.
1 – Why should we intercede for other believers?
a – Because Jesus intercedes for us.
(ROM 8:34) “Who is the one who condemns? Christ
Jesus is the One who died, but even more, has been
raised; He also is at the right hand of God and
intercedes for us.”
(HEB 7:25) “Therefore He is always able to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.”
b – Because the Holy Spirit intercedes for us.
(ROM 8:26-27) “In the same way the Spirit also joins
to help in our weakness, because we do not know what
to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself
intercedes for us with unspoken groanings. And He
who searches the hearts knows the Spirit’s mind-set,
because He intercedes for the saints according to the
will of God.”
B – This intercession was made on a continuing basis.
1 – Paul made unceasing intercession for the Colossian
Believers.
a – This refers to a habitual and purposeful intercession on
their behalf.
b – It was Paul’s practice to continually engage in
intercessory prayer for fellow believers.
1. He prayed for the Roman believers (Rom 1:9-10) “For God, whom I serve with my spirit in /telling/ the good news about His Son, is my witness that I constantly mention you, always asking in my prayers…”
2. He prayed for the Corinthian believers
(I Cor. 1:4-8).
3. He prayed for the Ephesian believers
(Eph. 1:15-23).
4. He prayed for the Philippian believers (Phil. 1:3-11).
5. He prayed for the Thessalonican believers
(I Thess. 1:2-10).
6. He prayed for Timothy, and Philemon
(2 Tim. 1:3-7 ) “I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day.”
(Philemon 4-7) “I mention you in my prayers…that your participation in the faith may become effective…”
C – How can we intercede more effectively for fellow
believers?
1 – In this text, Paul helps us by sharing some requests we can
make for one another that will definitely get results.
I – FILLED WITH KNOWLEDGE (v. 9).
A – Of the will of God.
1 – Pray that He will give them an insatiable desire to search out
the will of God for their lives.
a – Create a hunger for the Word of God.
(Mt 5:6) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, because they will be filled.”
b – Completely tuned – in to the Holy Spirit.
2 – Any man who truly seeks the will of God will find it
(Matt. 7:7). “Keep asking, and it will be given to you.
Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking,
and the door will be opened to you.”
B – How to apply His knowledge.
1 – Pray that God will give wisdom in applying what God
reveals through the ministries of the Word and the Holy
Spirit.
(2 Tim. 3:16-17) “All Scripture is inspired by God and
is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting,
for training in righteousness, so that the man of God
may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
(Jn 16:13) “ When the Spirit of truth comes, He will
guide you into all the truth.”
a – Specific daily direction in application of the revealed will
of God.
C – Having spiritual understanding.
1 – Pray that God will open their spiritual eyes, ears, and
sensitivity to fully understand all things from the
spiritual, rather than from the physical man.
a – This is how Paul prayed for the Ephesian believers
(Eph. 1:15-23). “This is why, since I heard about your
faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a
spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. /I pray/ that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength. He demonstrated this power in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavens— far above Every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put everything under His feet and appointed Him as head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of the One who fills all things in every way.”
II – FOLLOWING IN A LIFE THAT PLEASES GOD (v. 10).
A – Fully pleasing to God.
1 – Pray that the Lord’s perfect will be performed completely in their life.
a – Enoch’s life pleased God because he daily walked
with God
(Heb. 11:5) “By faith, Enoch was taken away so that
he did not experience death, and he was not to be
found because God took him away. For prior to his
transformation he was approved, having pleased God.”
(Gen. 5:21-25). “Enoch was 65 years old when he
fathered Methuselah. And after the birth of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and fathered sons and daughters. So Enoch’s life lasted 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not there, because God took him.”
B – Fruitful in all good works.
1 – Pray that their life will be one that bears fruit:
a – The fruit of the Spirit
(Gal. 5:22-26) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now
those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the
flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the
Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit. We must not
become conceited, provoking one another, envying
one another.”
b – The fruit of righteousness
(Heb. 12:11) “No discipline seems enjoyable at the
time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit
of peace and righteousness to those who have been
trained by it.
c – The fruit of Spiritual reproduction.
1. Others won to Christ
(Acts 1:8) “But you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My
witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”
C – Forever growing in the grace and knowledge of God.
1 – Pray that they will continue to grow in grace and
knowledge of Christ.
a – Growth in understanding of the Grace of God.
1. This will result in a life that is totally committed to
Christ and His Church.
*It is impossible for a person to fully
understand what Christ has done for him and
remain uncommitted.
b – Growth in knowledge of Christ.
1. This means growth in intimacy with Christ.
a. Daily sharing deeply with Him.
III – FORTIFIED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT (v.11).
A – Strengthened by His power.
1 – Pray that they will cease to walk in their own strength; and walk in the power of Christ.
(I COR 2:4-5) “My speech and my proclamation were not
with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a
demonstration of the Spirit and power, so that your
faith might not be based on men’s wisdom but on
God’s power.”
B – Staying faithful in the midst of the trial of life.
1 – Pray that they will seek His strength, and will live in that strength in the midst of trials.
a – The early Apostles and Christians sought the
strength of God during fiery trials.
(Acts 4:23-24) “After they were released, they went to
their own fellowship and reported all that the chief
priests and the elders had said to them. When they
heard this, they raised their voices to God
unanimously…”
C – Serving joyfully in all situations.
1 – Pray that they will find joy in their service to Jesus.
a- It is God’s will that they be filled with joy.
(Jn 15:11) “I have spoken these things to you so that
My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”
b – Hymn – “Serve the Lord with Gladness”
CONCLUSION:
