Colossians 1:9-14: Paul's Prayers for the Colossians

Colossians 1:9-14: Paul’s Prayers for the Colossians

We’ve been working our way passage by passage through the book of Colossians, and today the next passage we come to is Colossians 1:9-14. Hear now the words of the Living and True God:

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, 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.

May God bless the reading of his Word.

A couple of months ago, we had some wonderful opportunities to minister to people in the communities around us with our Prayer Station that we set up at several local festivals. We simply set up the Prayer Station tent that you can see pictured on the screens and offered to pray with people who passed by. And we did this because we believe one of the most meaningful things we can do for people is to pray for them—and even to pray with them.

Yet, especially when it comes to praying personally, it can be difficult to establish a vibrant prayer life and to be consistent in our prayers. So, if you struggle to pray, let me assure you at the very outset here that you’re not alone. The famed twentieth-century preacher Martyn Lloyd-Jones once stated that “Everything we do in the Christian life is easier than prayer.” “Everything we do in the Christian life is easier than prayer.”

And I’m inclined to agree with that statement. There’s something about prayer that makes it very challenging to actually do. Personally, I find it much easier to read the Bible than to pray. I find it much easier to read books about prayer than to pray. And I even find it much easier to prepare sermons on prayer than to actually pray. My theory is that this is because Satan’s very aware of the power of prayer and is therefore absolutely determined to do whatever he can to discourage us and keep us from praying.

It's with this in mind that I hope our examination of Colossians 1:9-14 today will be an encouragement for all of us to pray—and that it’ll give us some helpful guidance related to prayer. For example, what does a healthy prayer life look like? What kinds of things should we pray for? How can we grow in our practice—and enjoyment—of prayer? These are some of the questions I hope to address in a helpful way this morning. The main idea of this passage is that Paul shares with the Colossians the ways in which he prays for them. Paul shares with the Colossians the ways in which he prays for them.

So, let’s begin by looking together at the beginning of verse 9. Paul writes, “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you….” In the previous verse, Paul told the Colossians how a man named Epaphras—who had started the Colossian church—had reported to him about the love that was present among the Colossian Christians. That report is what Paul seems to be referring to when he states here in verse 9, “from the day we heard.” Ever since Paul heard that incredibly encouraging report about the Colossians, he’s been especially motivated to pray for them.

Paul recognized that one of the greatest ways we can serve one another is through our prayers—so, that’s exactly what he did for the Colossians. He may have been hindered from visiting them by the fact that he was imprisoned for the gospel, but his ability to pray for them wasn’t hindered in the least.

And Paul’s devotion to prayer and the fact that he made prayer such a priority is a wonderful reminder for us of how powerful prayer is. This is affirmed in many places throughout the New Testament where we find breathtaking promises about prayer. For example, in John 15:7, Jesus tells his disciples, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” He also states in Matthew 7:7-8, ⁷ “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” 

Jesus also promises in John 14:13-14: ¹³ Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. And in John 16:23-24: ²³ …Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. ²⁴ Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

And we find plenty of similar statements in the letters of the New Testament as well. James 4:2 states that “You do not have, because you do not ask.” James 5:16 tells us, “…The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” And, finally, 1 John 5:14-15 declares, ¹⁴ And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

So, as you can see, the New Testament’s filled with astounding statements and extravagant promises about prayer. And it really makes you wonder, why don’t we pray more than we do? Why don’t we devote ourselves to prayer as Paul did?

And although, in our main passage[verse 9a], Paul’s focus is on his prayers for fellow Christians in Colossae, the power of prayer also extends to our prayers for those who aren’t yet Christians as well. You know, one thing I’ve learned in the nine years since we started this church is that God can do more in a single moment of his power than we can do through years and years of our own striving. God can open even the hardest of hearts and draw to himself even the people who seem to be furthest from him. So, hopefully, if you’re a Christian, you’re praying every single day for specific people who aren’t yet Christians—asking God to bring them to saving faith.

And I love how Paul says here in verse 9, “we have not ceased to pray for you.” Now, I don’t think this means Paul literally spent every waking moment devoting his full conscious attention to praying for the Colossians. Instead, it’s likely he means that he’s been praying for them very consistently and that he’s been in what we might call a spirit of prayer throughout the day, with the Colossians never far from his mind.

So, the question for us to answer this morning is, do we pray for one another with this kind of regularity? Some of you may have seen these “Weekly Prayer Guide” bookmarks before that suggest prayers for every day of the week. If you don’t have one already, feel free to pick one up from the Resource Table at the back of the auditorium. I also encourage you to pray through the names of people in your Community Group. If you’re signed up for a group, you can find the names of others in your group on the “Groups” tab of the Church Center app. I also encourage group leaders to find a way to publish the prayer requests people share each week so that group members can be praying throughout the week for the specific requests that were shared.

We also pray for each other at our monthly Prayer Gathering on the first Wednesday of each month from 6:30-7:30 here at the church. And we even have a churchwide prayer list that you can find a link to on the announcements email that goes out each Thursday. So, there are plenty of opportunities for us as a church to be praying for each other. And hopefully, like Paul, we’re doing that with great regularity—even to the point of being in a spirit of prayer throughout the day.

I’d also like to share with you this observation from Martyn Lloyd-Jones, whom I quoted earlier. He said that, “There is nothing that tells the truth about us as Christian people so much as our prayer life.” Along those same lines, a nineteenth century Scottish minister named Robert Murray M’Cheyne famously said, “What a man is on his knees before God, that he is. Nothing more.”

Just as the financial statements of a business are a fairly reliable indicator of the overall health of that business, our prayer lives are perhaps the most reliable indicator there is of how healthy we are spiritually. Our degree of devotion to prayer and the way we engage in prayer speak volumes about how close of a relationship we have with God and the degree to which we’re relying on God instead of relying on ourselves.

Not only that, as we grow and mature as Christians, we should be growing and maturing especially in our prayer lives. One way we do this is to learn from other Christians about how to pray. This is why I believe praying together in Community Groups and at our monthly Prayer Gathering is such a valuable thing. Not only do our prayers accomplish more than we’re even aware of, but also, it’s as we hear other Christians pray—especially Christians who are more spiritually mature—that we ourselves learn how to pray.

I also try to be very deliberate in our worship services about praying in a way that’s instructive. Some of you may have noticed that my prayer at the beginning of each worship service follows the “ACTS” method. In case you’ve never heard of it, “ACTS” is an acronym for adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. Those are four basic elements of prayer. Then, of course, we all recite the Lord’s Prayer together, which obviously has instructive value since Jesus gave it to his disciples for that very purpose.

And finally, toward the end of each worship service—right after the Lord’s Supper—I pray based on the passage of Scripture we’ve studied that morning. This prayer first involves rejoicing in something we’ve read about in the passage—usually something related to God’s character, God’s promises, or what God’s done for us. It then involves repenting of any sin or shortcoming in our lives that the biblical passage has brought to light. And third, it involves requesting God’s help in applying the passage to our lives and living out what we’ve seen on a daily basis. And this method of rejoicing, repenting, and requesting is something I hope you also might find useful in your own times with God.

In addition, maturing in our prayer life involves not only learning helpful methods for prayer but also developing a deeper understanding of the kinds of things we should be praying for. Essentially, our priorities in prayer should be increasingly aligned with God’s priorities, and our hearts should be increasingly aligned with God’s heart.

Typically, when praying for themselves or other people, most Christians tend to focus mostly on health ailments and various other practical needs and difficulties life often brings. And let me be clear that these are very important things to pray for. We should absolutely be praying for things like these. Yet, at the same time, our prayers should also go beyond these things and focus on the kinds of things that have the greatest eternal significance.

Now, how do we know what those are? Well, perhaps the best way to know the kinds of things we should be praying for is to look at the Bible and see what kinds of prayers the Bible offers for our instruction. Of course, the most famous example is the Lord’s Prayer that I’ve already mentioned. Yet, perhaps the next best example in the entire Bible is the prayers Paul says he prays for the Colossians in our main passage. These verses are a gold mine when it comes to learning the kinds of things we should focus on in our prayers.

So, now that we’ve gotten the introduction of the sermon out of the way—just joking—look with me at verses 9-11:  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, 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;

So, in these verses, Paul lists six things that he’s praying will be true of the Colossian Christians. And these six things probably wouldn’t be a bad prayer list for us to pray both for ourselves and for each other.

The first is spiritual wisdom. Paul tells the Colossians that he’s “asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” The false teachers of Colossae claimed to have knowledge that was accessible only to them. Yet Paul prays that the Colossians would have a true “knowledge”—along with “all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” A key feature of all three of these terms—“knowledge,” “wisdom,” and “understanding”—is that they all have their origin in the Bible.

The most foundational term is “knowledge,” which refers to an intellectual apprehension of biblical truths. Yet, in order to actually be beneficial, that intellectual “knowledge” has to be practically manifested in the form of “wisdom and understanding.” This involves having insight and discernment about how we should conduct ourselves in the midst of various practical situations.

You know, the Bible most often speaks to us in the form of general principles rather than specific commands. This means we need “spiritual wisdom and understanding” about how to apply those general principles to the specific situations in our lives. For example, should we accept a promotion at work that will require working longer hours? Should we marry the particular person we’re currently in a relationship with? Should we purchase a house or continue renting an apartment? How exactly should we respond to the relative of ours who frustrates us to no end?

Now, it would be great if the Bible gave us specific instructions about the number of hours we should work, the name of the person we should marry, the exact right time to purchase a house, or a script of what we should say to frustrating relatives. Wouldn’t that be convenient? Yet the Bible doesn’t give us these kinds of specific instructions but instead gives us general principles that require “spiritual wisdom and understanding” to rightly apply to our lives. So, that’s the first thing Paul prays the Colossians would possess.

Then, second, Paul prays that the Colossians would live lives that please God. Paul states in verse 10, “so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him.” The phrase “so as to” emphasizes even more that the intended result of “spiritual wisdom and understanding” is a life that brings glory to God. The proper goal of the “knowledge,” “wisdom,” and “understanding” Paul spoke about in the previous verse isn’t so we can impress others with how smart we are but rather so we can glorify God in our everyday lives.

And as we continue on in verse 10, we see that this involves not only the sins we avoid but also the godly behaviors we pursue. This brings us to the third item on Paul’s prayer list for the Colossians, which is fruitfulness in good works. Paul prays that the Colossians would be “bearing fruit in every good work.” Many times, we’re tempted to view spiritual maturity primarily in terms of how much biblical knowledge we possess and how consistently we avoid certain sins. Yet, as Paul reminds us, there’s also another huge area to consider—how faithful we are in doing good works.

Now, as Protestants and heirs of the Reformation, the phrase “good works”—interestingly enough—often has a somewhat negative connotation for us and is perhaps even a little bit triggering, since we’re so quick to point out that it’s not by good works that we’re saved.

Yet, in our zeal to defend the thoroughly biblical doctrine of justification through faith alone, let’s remember that good works are still an essential component of the Christian life—not, of course, as a way of earning eternal life but rather as evidence that we possess saving faith. That is, good works aren’t the means of salvation, but they are the fruit of salvation—which is why Paul speaks of “bearing fruit in every good work.”

Think about that analogy of a tree bearing fruit. The fruit that a fruit tree bears is evidence of what kind of tree it is. For example, we can identify an apple tree because it produces apples. Now, it’s important to understand that, strictly speaking, apples don’t make apple trees what they are. Apple trees are apple trees because of their genetic makeup. This is why we still refer to them as apple trees even before they begin producing apples. It’s my understanding that apple trees don’t produce apples until at least 3-5 years after they’re planted—yet they’re still very much apple trees during that time. However, their nature as apple trees is eventually evidenced and demonstrated by them producing apples—just as the genuineness of our faith is evidenced and demonstrated through good works.

The necessity of good works—and how they relate to faith—is stated especially clearly in Ephesians 2:8-10. Paul writes, ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. So, even though we’re not saved by good works, we are saved “for good works.” These good works might include sharing the gospel with those around us, helping those in need in practical ways, and ministering to fellow Christians.

Then, after that in our main passage, a fourth item on Paul’s prayer list is greater knowledge of God. Paul prays that the Colossians would be “increasing in the knowledge of God.” Lest anyone be tempted to think—in the midst of such a pronounced emphasis on practical living—that knowledge isn’t important, Paul reminds us that “knowledge of God” is one of the most important things there is. In fact, I think we can even say it’s of paramount importance because of the way it affects everything else.

We ultimately live out who we believe God to be. Our beliefs about God are kind of like our spiritual DNA. Just as our bodies are a manifestation of our physical DNA, our lives are a manifestation of our beliefs about God. We’re constantly living out our view of God.

For example, as we gain a deeper understanding of God’s wisdom and sovereignty and goodness, we become a lot less anxious. As we gain a deeper appreciation of God’s power and faithfulness, we find ourselves becoming more inclined to pray. As we comprehend more of the depth of God’s love for us, we’re naturally led to demonstrate that same love toward others. As we contemplate the forgiveness God’s extended to us despite all of our sins against him, we find that we’re now able to extend forgiveness to those who have done things against us no matter how terrible those things have been. And as we become more aware of the perfect holiness and righteousness of God, we also become more aware of the ways we fall short of that holiness and righteousness—and more eager to repent of those sinful shortcomings.

Next, Paul tells the Colossians he’s praying for their spiritual strengthening. In verse 11, he speaks of them “being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience.” The fact is that we need to be supernaturally strengthened in order to be prepared for both the temptations and the trials we’ll inevitably encounter in our lives. If God stopped strengthening us at 2:00 this afternoon, our spiritual condition would be a disaster by about 2:01.

And then, the final item on Paul’s prayer list is transcendent joy. Don’t miss the last two words of verse 11. Paul doesn’t just express a desire for the Colossians to have “all endurance and patience.” He desires that they have “all endurance and patience with joy.” Even though they’ll face plenty of trials in their lives, Paul prays that they’ll have a transcendent joy that rises above those trials.

Many times, our tendency is to be so consumed by our present circumstances that those circumstances end up eclipsing our view of Jesus and the glorious future he’s promised us. Yet the Christian life isn’t just about gritting our teeth and trudging forward but about rejoicing in Christ and the hope we have of eternal life. And that should be something we pray God would help us to do.

So, those are the six items on Paul’s prayer list for the Colossians: spiritual wisdom, lives that please God, fruitfulness in good works, greater knowledge of God, spiritual strengthening, and transcendent joy. And I suggest praying both for yourself and for our church that God would help us grow in all of these areas.

Yet, it’s also important to remember that prayer isn’t just about asking God for things but is also, even more fundamentally, about communing with God and experiencing his presence and growing closer to him. Therefore, another element of prayer—that should be interwoven throughout our prayers—is thanksgiving. This is why Paul speaks in verse 12 of “giving thanks to the Father.” Paul then elaborates on what exactly we should be so thankful for. He states in verses 12-14, 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.

As you can see, the things we who are Christians have to be thankful for are indescribably glorious. Paul first speaks of the fact that the Father “has qualified [us] to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” So, we’re not qualified in and of ourselves to share in this inheritance, but that’s okay—because God’s the one who makes us qualified.

You might compare it to gaining access to a highly secure building, such as CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. From what I understand, the CIA doesn’t make any part of their facility open to the public. You can’t just go on the CIA website and sign up for a tour of CIA headquarters. However, imagine that you knew the director of the CIA and that he personally met you at the gate of the building and escorted you inside. I think we can safely assume that, if he did that, the security officers would let you enter. As long as the CIA director informed them that you’re with him, you’d be granted access to the building—not because of your status but because of his status. Similarly, according to Paul, it’s God who qualifies us to share in the heavenly inheritance of the saints—rather than anything in us.

Paul explains this further in verses 13-14: 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. The original Greek word translated as “redemption” was used in ancient culture to refer to paying the required price in order to purchase a slave’s freedom. And that’s what God has done for us.

The Bible teaches that we were enslaved to our sins and deserving of eternal punishment in hell because of our rebellion against God. However, God loved us so much that he sent his own Son Jesus to suffer the punishment our sins deserved on the cross. Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for our sin and thereby purchased our redemption. Jesus was then raised from the dead and now stands ready to rescue us from our sin—provided that we put our trust in him to do that. This involves renouncing any trust in ourselves or our own moral accomplishments, as if they could ever make us right with God, and instead putting our full trust and confidence in Jesus for rescue.

And when we do that, we receive what Paul describes as the “forgiveness of sins.” Just as someone might be forgiven of a large financial debt they owe—meaning that, instead of having to pay the debt, they’re released from the debt—God offers us full forgiveness of our sins. He releases us from the obligation to suffer the punishment for our sins and instead welcomes us into his family as his very own sons and daughters.

And to relate this once again to the subject of prayer, this is the only way in which God will hear our prayers. God tells us that he doesn’t hear the prayers of those who are in a state of rebellion against him. Isaiah 59:1-2 states, ¹ Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; ² but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

However, in his grace, God’s made a way for us to come to him in prayer through Jesus. This is what it means for us to pray in Jesus’s name. As we’ve already seen, Jesus says in John 14:13-14: ¹³ Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. So, the phrase “in Jesus’ name” that’s usually included at the end of our prayers isn’t included for no reason but actually has a very important function. It reminds us that we can expect our prayers to be answered not because of our merit but because of Jesus’s merit. It’s because of his merit and standing before the Father that we’re able to approach the Father in prayer with confidence that our prayers will be answered.