COLOSSIANS 1: 9-12
PRAYING FOR OTHERS
[Ezekiel 22:30]
Every Christian can minister directly to the spiritual well-being of other believers without seeing or speaking to them. We can play a role in their spiritual growth, and even secure God's blessings for them. Intercessory pray accomplishes amazing things and it’s within the grasp of any of us.
Any Christian can intercede for others. Though most Christians don’t start out with a strong compulsion to pray for others, it will develop as the Christian grows in the grace and instruction of the Lord.
Each of you in your inner person - your new person in Christ- have a desire to pray for others- and that’s all you need. Others need your prayers if they are going to be all Christ has for them to be. Your pastor, your fellow church members, your family, your friends, and even your enemies need your prayers.
If you are ready to heed God’s call to greater Christian maturity and service by stepping up to the call to stand in the gap for others, our passage today will help. If you are unsure what to pray for others, discover six things that you can always pray for anyone, even an unsaved person.
I. Pray That They Will Know God’s Will For Their Lives, 1:8&9.
Paul prayed for believers who were marked by love that has its origin in the Spirit. Listen as verse 8 lead into verse 9. “And he also informed us of your love in the Spirit. For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, 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,”
Sometimes we wonder how to pray for missionaries and other leaders we have never met. Paul had never met the Colossians, but he faithfully prayed for them. His prayers teach us how to pray for others, whether we know them or not.
The best that people can hope for in this life is to know God’s will and fulfill the purpose He has planned for them. Thus we should ask God to reveal His will and empower them to fulfill it when we pray for others. We ask for them to be filled with the knowledge of His will, which means it would pervade their being - thoughts, affections, purposes, and plans. God desires the knowledge of His will to grasp and penetrate deeply into our lives.
The Apostle Paul set an example of praying that others would know God’s purpose for them. He recognized that knowing God’s will is a spiritual issue and that prayer is needed for people to seek, know, and understand God’s will. Thus he prayed that the people in the church at Colossae would know (have clear discernment) of God’s will, His purpose for life, and for their daily life (practical wisdom).
II. Pray That They Would Do God’s Will in Their Lives, 10a.
The second petition in the first part of verse 10 is that after they know God’s will they would choose to live out God’s will. “So that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects.”
God desires us to live a life based on what He has done for us. Paul prayed that people would know God’s will, but he also understood that knowing God’s will did not guarantee doing God’s will. Living a life worthy of the Lord grows out of knowing God’s will. The reason (ἳíá) he prayed that they would know God’s will is so they would do God’s will or walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. He prayed that they would act on what they learned. Only through action does a person fulfill the purpose God has for him. Only as we act on God’s will can we please Him in greater and greater ways. The ultimate aim of knowing God’s will and walking in a worthy manner is to please the Lord.
Our lives should not be guided by expectations from our self or others. We must be guided by the Lord, who redeemed us, called us and has been transforming us so that we are worthy of His name, a name that is above every name. Don’t be trapped into a life of trying to please others, please the Lord.
The people of Paul’s time valued the accumulation of knowledge but Paul points out knowledge in itself is useless - empty. To be worth anything it must lead to a changed life and right living.
It is one thing to know God’s will. It is another thing to be willing to change how we feel about it and accept it. Pray that God would reveal His will for them with clarity and that they would understand it. Also pray that they would accept it. Then pray that God would enable them to change their behavior, so that they would align themselves with God’s will.
III. Pray For Productivity In Their Lives, 10b.
What kind of life pleases the Lord? A life that continually bears fruit. Verse 10 continues, “Bearing fruit in every good work.” To do good works without bearing any eternal fruit is tragic. So he prayed they would bear spiritual fruit which is eternal. He prayed they would have eternal productivity in labors. The thought is a life of continuous (present tense) fruitfulness. Fruitfulness comes out of purposefulness.
Paul wanted those he prayed for to be wise but he also wanted them to use their knowledge. God wants us to learn more about Him and then put our belief into practice by helping others. Thus Paul prayed that the people would lead productive lives.
The life of an obedient Christian is fruitful. Our Creator designed us to be fruitful. Jesus said, “I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will remain” or last (John 15:16). “The greatest fruit that a person’s life can bear has lasting value; usually that means actions with eternal consequences, such as salvation for unbelievers and Spirit empowered ministry to other members of the body of Christ. So when you pray for others, pray that they would be productive, and that they would choose to bear fruit that is eternal.” (John Maxwell, Partners in Prayer, 71).
IV. Pray For Them To Have A Growing Relationship With God, 10c.
A Christian should not only bear eternal fruit, he should also attain spiritual growth which is the last request in verse 10. “Increasing in the knowledge of God;”
Most of what you learn about God will not be revealed to you until you know His will, live out His will, and begin bearing eternal fruit. God can not really disclose Himself to us until we become obedient children.
The knowledge (ἐðßãíùóéí) here is a knowledge that comes from life and study. A knowledge that enhances an accurate comprehension of God. It is relationship and study knowledge. Paul knew that everything hinges on the health and vitality of our relationship with our Creator. What rain and sunshine are to the nurture of plants, the knowledge of God is to the growth and maturing of spiritual life.
A genuine knowledge of Christ reveals itself in a transformed character (Eph. 4:1; 1 Thes. 2:12), in Christlikeness.
V. Pray For Power In Their Lives, 11.
Following these great requests is a prayer for spiritual power and strength in verse 11. “Strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience;”
Paul prayed that the people would receive power. The power he was speaking of was of the Holy Spirit of God. This empowering is the only kind that is according to His glorious might. It is not given simply according to our need, but according to God’s supply, according to His glorious might.
“As Christians, each of us can be empowered by the Holy Spirit. If we are to do anything of value, we must have Him as the source of our power. Think of yourself as being similar to a vacuum cleaner in your home. Like us, a vacuum cleaner was created with certain inherent abilities, and it has a specific purpose. But if it’s not plugged in and receiving power, it’s useless. It depends on another source to make it effective. If you pull the plug, it’s worthless.
We’re like that. Without the power from our Source, the Spirit of Christ, we’re not effective. We may be able to do some things on our own, but they have no eternal value. When we really understand this, we begin to see ourselves as we really are. We realize that we need and must depend on God.
That’s why it’s important to ask God to give others His power as we pray for them. Without that power, they won’t be able to make a difference for Him. But with that power, they can show strength in the face of adversity, patience during trials, and endurance to finish the race God has laid out before them. And then, in the end, we can hope that God will tell the Christian brothers and sisters we prayed for, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Maxwell, 72)
VI. Pray For Them To Have A Right Attitude, 12.
Strengthened Christians are not to live a stoic, stiff upper lip life, but one filled with joy and gratitude as verse 12 indicates. “Joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”
In other words, Paul was praying that they would have and maintain a positive, thankful, joyful attitude. Why pray for people’s attitude? Our attitude impacts nearly every aspect of our lives. It influences our behavior, our ability to learn, our contentment, and relationships - including our relationship with God. It affects each person’s life and Christian walk in a far greater way than you might think.
As you pray for others to share in a joyful attitude, remember that joy is different from happiness. Joy is internal and based on Christ. Happiness is external and based on circumstances. Joy is eternal and linked to our salvation, where happiness is temporary and based on fleeting emotions. Pray that your Christian brothers and sisters find joy in their lives, and that as a result, they would be salt and light to those around them.
As you spend an increasing amount of time praying for others, you will find that your attitude toward people improves. It becomes more positive and compassionate. Your prayer focus will also mature.
Your will find that where you once focused on receiving, your concern has shifted to being a blessing. As Jesus said “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35). Where you were once concerned with your injuries, your focus has changed to being a healer (Col. 3:12f). Where you once worried about your problems, your focus is now on God’s grace and power. You will find that as your prayer changes others, it also changes you.
CONCLUSION
Let’s close with an illustration. A gathering of friends at an English estate nearly turned to tragedy when one of the children strayed into deep water. The gardener heard the cries for help, plunged in, and RESCUED THE DROWNING CHILD. That youngster's name' was Winston Churchill. His grateful parents' asked the gardener what they could do to reward him. He hesitated, then said, "I wish my son could go to college someday and become a doctor." "We’ll see to it," Churchill's parents promised.
Years later, while Sir Winston was prime minister of England, he was stricken with pneumonia. The country’s best physician was summoned. His name was Dr. Alexander Fleming, the man who discovered and developed penicillin. He was also the son of that gardener who had saved young Winston from drowning" Later Churchill remarked, "Rarely has one man owed his life twice to the same person."
Churchill's experience reminds us of our double indebtedness as Christians to God. First, His Son Jesus gave us the precious gift of salvation. Then, Jesus the Great Physician, offers to imparted to us the priceless gift of sanctification.
I pray you are partaking of the inheritance Jesus has qualified you for. Are you who have experienced God’s salvation partakers of God’s sanctification? Is it demonstrated in your prayer life? Do you know God’s will for yourself? Are you being fruitful? Are you being productive? Are you being strengthen by the Spirit? How’s your attitude?
Paul’s prayer was for the full enrichment of lives. All believer’s have the same basic needs. Paul’s pattern of prayer opens the door for God to meet them. As we pray for others to share in the inheritance of the saints their life changes. They begin to receive the greater gifts of God’s grace. They will become what they never could have without your prayers for them. They will learn more about God and put their beliefs into practice by helping others. As they do they will bear fruit and their attitude will change into one of continuous joyfulness and thankfulness.
