Today, we begin a short study on the first half of the New Testament book of Colossians. Having introduced this book a few weeks before Easter, we’ll explore the first part of the book and get back to the second half of the book later this year.
I love it when something has me “charged up!” When some project has me so totally engrossed that I pour all of my energies into it. But for large parts of our lives, we find ourselves empty and depleted. Some of you expressed that to me as we talked on the phone just this week. This continued isolation was grinding on you and you needed to see people again. I can understand that as we need one another. One of the real challenges when I feel empty is that I often don’t know what to do fill myself up again. If only our emotional lives operating like a smart phone where we knew exactly where to plug ourselves in and feel recharged.
Today, I want to speak to you on this topic, “How Do I Support Others in a Time of Need.” What can you do to do support your friends and loved-ones during their time of need. You can pray, really pray for your friends, family, and church family when they are down.
“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God” (Colossians 4:12).
Do you catch those words “always struggling on your behalf in his prayers?” A lot of us pray “short prayers” and that’s fine one level. But there’s a whole other level you can take prayer life to! Are you ready to “level up” in prayer life?
When we pray we experience God’s love and a oneness with Him. When we pray we experience the promise of peace and rest in God Himself. When we pray we experience the very presence of God as we call on Him to advance His kingdom.
Colossians 1:9-14 is a really a prayer – I am not sure if you caught that when it was read to you a moment ago. You can tell this portion is a prayer because of verse 9 where he describes his prayers: “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…” (Colossians 1:9).
Programming Note: all throughout today’s message, I will show you exactly where I am connecting with the passage of Scripture by use this screen beside me.
Today’s Scripture (Passage Read Before Sermon)
“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:9-14).
Now, if I wanted to learn to cook I might watch The Pioneer Woman to make a great meal. If I wanted to learn how to invest, I might ask for an hour of billionaire Warren Buffet’s time, the Oracle of Omaha. If I wanted to learn how to live healthy, I ask my doctor or a nurse for help. But if I wanted to really strengthen my prayer life then I would want listen in on the prayer of the Apostle Paul.
You can copy how Paul prays for believing friends and those who don’t share your faith. Have you noticed that somehow there is a great urgency to pray when there is sickness, financial pressure, and difficult decisions before me.
I found it interesting that a 2004 study found that nearly 30 percent of atheists admitted they prayed “sometimes.” Another 2010 study says people that older you grow, the more likely you are to pray.
Here’s a truth for you: you must be convinced that we are not going to make it unless we pray.
Watch how this prayer works in levels. Watch for a progression here.
Here’s how to pray when people are down…
1. Pray to Know God Better
You know when we pray we often pray for Brenda to be healed or for John to be safe. We’ll ask the Lord to give someone a job who has just been unemployed. These things are not necessarily wrong but you never hear Paul praying this way. Paul’s prayers are on another level and I want help to take you to another level. I want you to power up your prayer life during this shelter in place. I am sure that there was sickness in town of Colossi but he didn't pray for anyone to be healed. I am sure that there were people there who needed work, but he did not pray for jobs.
1.1 Pray for God to Open Up
Here’s how we are to pray for others when they are down: “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…” (Colossians 1:9).
Have you ever meet someone that really clams up? You ask them 10 questions in a course of a minute and they give you 10 one words answers. They are closed off. If you want God to open Himself up to you, you must pray. If you want God to reveal more of Himself to your friends and family, you must pray for them.
Pray for someone like this, “God, will you make yourself real to my friend, Brenda. Would you open yourself up to her so she can know you better?” When someone tells you they are lonely, pray they might be filled with the knowledge of God’s will. We are to pray for others to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will by possessing more spiritual wisdom and a greater understanding. We are to pray for others to be filled with deeper knowledge, a more clear knowledge, and an ever-growing knowledge of God’s will.
1.2 What is God’s Will?
Knowing God’s will and living out His will is really important to life. God has “one way” He wants life to look like and much of our world do NOT reflect God’s will. Jesus taught us to pray: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).God has a will for our sex lives, our financial lives, our work lives, and our family relationships. Jesus said one occasion that the people who do God’s will are His family (Mark 3:35). And of course, Jesus prayed at Gethsemane: “Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36b).
Oftentimes, Christians think of God’s will when we consider who to marry and what career path we are to take for life. Yes, we want God’s will for the big decisions, but we need God’s will for the small everyday decisions too!
The psalmist prayed like this:
“Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
on level ground!” (Psalm 143:10)
Note carefully what the psalmist asks to be taught here. He doesn’t ask the Lord to teach him His will. Instead, he asks that he be taught “to do your will.”
I find God’s will for my life through two aspects at the end of verse 9: “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…” (Colossians 1:9).
Knowing God’s will gives us reassurance when we are down. Knowing God’s will gives us insight to what is happening around us. You need to pray to better know God’s will because you need “spiritual wisdom and understanding.” You need to pray for your church family to know God’s will. You need to pray for your family members to know God’s will. And you need to pray for your friends and co-workers to know God’s will.
1.3 The Spirit Gives Knowledge
The Holy Spirit provides wisdom and understanding. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5). Essentially, there’s a humble confidence that comes to us when we know God’s will. You will know God better when you ask God to fill you with knowledge of Him.
Bible study alone will not fill you with knowledge of God. Nor will praying for to be filled with knowledge work outside of study of God’s word. So the two go together: pray for God to fill you with His knowledge and study of God’s Word.
If you don’t know God’s Word, you will not know God’s will. If you don’t constantly ask for wisdom and understanding, you will not know God’s will.
1.4 Intense Prayer
Look at the intensity of the prayer for a moment: “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…” (Colossians 1:9).
This is a constant, intense prayer for a long time. And you may remember this, Paul has never met these believers – never once laid eyes on most of the believers in ancient city of Colossae (Colossians 2:1). Since “from the day we heard” of their “your love in the Spirit” back in verse 8.
Jesus asks His Disciples, “Can you not pray with me for one hour?” (Matthew 26:40).
There is a real need to CONSTANTLY pray for your church family. There is a real need to CONSTANTLY pray for your friends and co-workers. There is a real need to CONSTANTLY pray for your family. Join with me in CONSTANTLY praying for others to know God’s will and to follow God’s will.
1.5 Constant Prayer
There are some things in life we should never stop praying for. Look at the intensity of the prayer for a moment: “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…” (Colossians 1:9).
These are regular, repeated prayers for a quite a long time. You pray for your daughter to pursue growing in her knowledge of the Lord and you pray again for your daughter to pursue growing in her knowledge of the Lord. Rinse, wash, repeat. You pray this prayer constantly.
This doesn’t mean Paul stayed on his knees all the time. I am sure he spent a lot of time on his knees. But this means Paul prayed constantly while doing the normal activities of life.
The Bible tells us we should “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer should be the background music, the elevator music of our daily lives. The Bible says Daniel’s regular practice was praying three times a day (Daniel 6:10). We need to pray constantly for our spiritual leaders like this. We need to pray constantly for new believers like this. We need to pray constantly for people in our families just like this. Pray for your friends consistently to know God better and better.
Again, Here’s how to pray when people are down…
1. Pray to Know God Better
Remember, all of this is a prayer.
Now, why should we pray?
1) We pray because we experience God’s love and a oneness with Him;
2) We pray because few things reveal our true ourselves better than praying;
and 3) We pray because for people when they’re down because we want the very best for those we love.
Earlier I said this but I want to repeat myself. Paul didn’t pray for a better life as much as prayed for much as he prayed for people to know Christ better through the hard life at hand. The purpose of increasing our knowledge is for the purpose of a changed life.
2. Pray to Please God More
“so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).
We need a clear understanding of God’s will in order that our lives would aligned by God’s purposes. We need a clear understanding of God’s will in order to live a life that pleases God. More knowledge of God’s will means great obedience to God’s will. Discovering more of knowledge of God is depends on obeying the parts of God’s will we already know. We are to pray for a continual realignment to please God. In our every thought and every word, we are to ask ourselves, “What would Jesus have me to do?”
“so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).
Pray that others would live a life pleasing to God in every possible way. If you please God, it doesn’t matter whom you displease in life. And notice the word “fully” in verse 10 because we are to “fully pleasing to him.”
There are four particular ways you “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord:”
“so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father” (Colossians 1:9-12a).
See how these four thoughts hang down as if on a chain from the thought of verse 9? You can see a lifestyle that “fully” pleases God in four specific areas. Here’s how you should “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.”
2.1 Bearing Fruit
“so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).
Jesus said to Christians, “I am the vine and you are the branches” and we are to produce good fruit. We will produce good fruit when we remain connected to our Savior. When you know God’s will you will reap a harvest of good deeds. How do we stay connect to Jesus?
2.2 Growing
“so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).
Don’t be satisfied with your current level of knowledge of God. Your desire to know more of God’s will should always increase. So we really see this marriage between knowing God’s will and doing’s God’s pleasure. God makes it possible for you to do His will. He shows you the way. And then He clears the way. He makes straight your paths.
2.3 God-Empowered
I’m better a short duration projects than I am long-time missions. To run the mailbox is no big deal. To run the Boston Marathon is something altogether different. And to consider living a godly life every hour of the day, every week of the year, and every year of my life is daunting.
How do I find the power to do this? “being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy (Colossians 1:11).
When I am empty emotionally, spiritually, and even morally, it would be great if I could simply plug into a charging cord like a smart phone. Prayer is your charging station. Only your charging station is not limited to 110 or even 220 volts. You have the opportunity to charge your life “to his glorious might!”
And look what the this increased energy is for: “ being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy” (Colossians 1:11).
2.4 Giving Thanks
Here is the fourth and final thought connected to prayer: “giving thanks to the Father…” (Colossians 1:12a).
The Bible says to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
“Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Psalm 103:1-5).
Again, these are four traits of the man or woman who pleases God: 1) bearing good works; 2) growing in the knowledge of God; 3) empowered by God; 4) giving thanks to God.
Conclusion
“the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:9-14).
Let’s pray for a better prayer life for our church family. Will you join me in praying for this?
Father in Heaven,
You are perfect in all your ways. You have a will for your people. You desire our every day to be like a day in Heaven. So reveal your will to us today, Lord. Show us your will for our finances, our friendships, our marriages, and our children. Show us your will for our jobs, our sex lives, and our nation.
We are grateful for how you redeemed us from the pit we have made for ourselves. Thank you for your love and mercy for sending your Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. Cause us to grow in love for Him. Cause us to be a light in a very dark time. Cause us to grow in knowledge of you and your words. And empower us to new levels of spiritual growth in you, Father.
Lord, for those who have yet to embrace you by faith, we pray for them now. We pray they would turn from their sins and trust your Son alone for salvation. We pray they worship you as their Lord and Savior.
Most of all, we thank you for your grace in Jesus name, Amen.
