For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (9-14).
Some day I will have to study all of Paul’s prayers, rather than looking at them one by one.
Again Paul prays for his friends to be filled, filled by God with knowledge. Filled with knowledge so that they can life a life worthy of being a child of God. A life worthy is a life that bears fruit and a life that grows more and more in the knowledge of God. This, in turn, means that we have patience and endurance to keep on living for Jesus, no matter what comes our way!
Listening to Paul’s prayers suggests that his great desire for friends and people of his church is that they grow more faithful to God –Father, Son and Holy Spirit- constantly.
This challenges me. All too often my general thoughts, hopes, dreams and therefore my prayers for others is that life goes smoothly and well. I have been so inculcated by the “good life” that that is what I hope and dream for people. And that is also what most people (myself included) ask for when asked, “How can I pray for you.”
As I said a moment ago… this is challenging my prayers and my prayer requests…
Lord, as I read and ponder this passage, my immaturity, my desire for life to be comfortable and easy and ‘good’ glares at me. My life is stark and shriveled compared to the way Paul truly sold out to You.
Lord, I am not even sure what to pray… until I thought, just pray Paul’s prayer for myself…
Lord God, I pray to be filled with the knowledge of Your Will. I pray for the spiritual wisdom and understanding needed to be filled with Your Will. I ask this, Lord, so that I may live a life worthy of You and may please You in every way… in thought, word and deed. I pray that I will bear fruit in every good work. I pray that I will grow in the knowledge of You and that being strengthened with all power I will exhibit great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to You in all things! Lord God, You have rescued me from the dominion of darkness and brought me into Jesus’ Kingdom where I have found redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Because of all You have done, Lord, I offer my life to You as a living sacrifice. All my days, all my relationships, all my stuff is Yours, Oh, Lord. I live for Your honor and glory… in Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment