Colossians 1:9-11
Paul’s Prayer
The book of Colossians is a short book, only 4 chapters long. The
theme or purpose of the book is teach the Exaltation of Christ. Paul
turned to that topic right after the verses we are looking at
tonight. Our text verses are part of Paul’s introduction and record
his prayer for the Colossians.
I do not when I noticed how much truth is contained in book
introductions, but I am glad I did.
Our text is still in the introduction of this book; that is, Paul is
establishing a rapport with the church. The introduction is longer
than normal for a book of this size, probably in part because Paul
had not been to this city before.
Notice in \\#9\\ "For this cause…." Paul’s cause was to help the
Colossians. As Paul begins this letter, he will share with the
readers his goals for them. What is interesting is that in these
verses, Paul told his readers how to get to the place that God wanted
them to be.
I. \\#9\\ Paul’s unceasing prayer.
Col 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we
heard it, do not cease to pray for you….
A. This is a phrase that Paul used several times.
\\#Ro 1:9. 1Thess 2:13, 1Thess 5:17, 2Ti 1:3\\.
B. To get God’s people where Paul knew they needed to be, Paul
gave himself to praying for them.
C. Most would say that a human being cannot pray without ceasing—
and I would agree.
a. If at no other time, at least when you are asleep, you
have to stop praying.
b. It is also my belief that since the brain can only think
of one thing at a time, whenever we earnestly
concentrate on a thing, we have to stop praying.
D. But when something is on your heart, that burden comes back as
soon as your mind is free again.
a. Paul must have trained his mind so that praying for others
was his neutral position.
(1) A true burden can change your mind’s neutral setting.
(a) Few people drive manual transmissions anymore
but in the days they did, it was not that
unusual to knock the transmission into neutral
for various reasons.
(b) Neutral was where you put the transmission when
it was not working in another gear.
(2) We know that Paul had other activities to occupy
himself with besides praying.
(a) Paul had a ministry of preaching.
(b) Paul had a ministry of writing.
(c) No doubt Paul also entered into a lot of one-on-
one conversations with others about their
souls.
(d) In addition, Paul also had the job of making
tents.
(3) But when Paul’s mind was not occupied, it bounced
back to praying for Christians, churches, and the
lost.
b. Where is our mind’s neutral?
(1) Christians, we need to ask ourselves…
(a) "Where does our mind go when it is not on the
problem at hand?"
(b) "What is mental neutral for you?"
(2) Consider where our mind idles.
(a) bills, finances?
(b) work?
(c) hobbies?
(3) Does your mind ever idle? When you get a free
minute, is it your habit to fill it with something?
music? television? texting? Facebook? a telephone
call?
(4) If your mind does not idle, when do you pray and
think on God?
(5) I’m thinking that Paul’s idle was praying.
(a) This allowed him to pray whenever his mind was
not occupied.
(b) I believe that this is probably as close to
praying without ceasing that we can come.
II. \\#9-11\\ Paul’s Desires
Col 1:9 …and to desire that ye might be…
A. Paul’s Beatitudes - These are the things that Paul wanted the
Christians to BE.
1. \\#9\\ That you be filled with the knowledge of God’s will.
a. It was Paul’s prayer that the Colossians would know
what God wants.
b. No Christian will ever be successful without knowing
what God wants.
c. How can I know what God wants?
(1) Through the Word.
(a) The Bible is like a compass.
(b) It does not give the specifics but it points
all Christians in the general direction that
God wants them to go.
(c) I knew a lady taking a road trip who got on
the interstate going the wrong direction!
But to make matters worse, she traveled for
several hours in the wrong direction! Those
who make that kind of mistake don't need a
map. They need a compass!
(c) The Bible is the beginning place of finding
the personal, will of God for your life;
however, it will not take you to the
specific place where God wants you to be.
(2) Through the Holy Spirit.
(a) The Holy Spirit is your personal GPS (step-
by-step guidance) to get you to the exact
spot in God’s will.
(b) Without the work of the Holy Spirit, a
Christian cannot get to the specifics of
God’s will.
(c) Other things can help open your ears to what
God wants but these two are the only true
Sources of knowledge.
d. How does this work?
(1) We study the Bible.
(2) We pray, listening to the Holy Spirit.
(3) We hone our ability to discern what the Holy
Spirit wants us to do.
2. That you be filled with all wisdom.
Col 1:9 …that ye might be filled… in all
wisdom….
a. Wisdom in a byproduct of knowing God’s will.
b. That means wisdom comes from reading the Bible and
praying while listening to the Holy Spirit.
c. I describe wisdom as "seeing things as God sees
things."
(1) Our vision is world bound.
(2) Being of this world, it is difficult to see
anything beyond our limited view.
(3) God wants us to look beyond the limited view of
this world and see the eternal, timeless view
that He sees.
3. That you be filled with spiritual understanding.
Col 1:9 … that ye might be filled… in all
wisdom and spiritual understanding;
a. Spiritual understanding is also a byproduct of
knowing God’s will.
b. That means that it also comes by studying the Bible,
praying while listening to the Holy Spirit, and
honing your skills at discernment.
c. Understanding is the ability to see the relationship
between cause and effect.
(1) If you DO an action, there is a REACTION.
(2) The ability to connect our actions to their
reactions is understanding.
(a) This is a lost art.
(b) If you spend more money than you have, you
will be in debt and be under pressure.
(c) If you make decisions with limited wisdom
and understanding, you are going to make a
lot mistakes.
d. SPIRITUAL understanding is the ability to see the
relationship between cause and effect in SPIRITUAL
matters.
(1) Tithe
(a) Tithe and even though you have less money,
God will bless your finances.
(b) Don’t tithe and even though you have more
money, God will not bless your finances.
(2) Worship
(a) Worship and even though you have less time,
God will allow you to accomplish more.
(b) Don’t worship and even though you have more
time, you will accomplish less.
B. Paul’s Actions - These are the things that Paul wanted
the Christians to do.
1. \\#10\\ That you might walk worthy of the Lord.
a. The desire of Paul and the Lord is that Christians
would live in a manner consistent with what Christ
had done for them.
b. The Christian life is normally described as a walk.
(1) Too many Christians get hung up on our past and
our future.
(2) None of us can undo our past and none of us can
control our future.
(3) The Christian life is only about right now, the
step you are taking right
c. If you will take the appropriate step NOW, you will
end at the appropriate destination THEN.
(1) Remember that Christ died for you. That will
take care of your past.
(2) Ask yourself, "What would Jesus have me do?" then
do it. That will take care of your future.
2. \\#10\\ That you would be fruitful in every good work.
a. While we are not proponents of the "prosperity gospel"
as it is proclaimed in certain pulpits today, God
does what to bless what His people do.
(1) God wants to bless what we do for Him. Why would
God give us a ministry and then deprive us of
His help?
(2) God wants to bless what we do for our family.
God created the home and wants it to succeed.
(3) God wants to bless our finances. He may not want
us to be "rich in the world's sight" but it is
not the will of God that any Christian be
stressed and oppressed due to bills or needs.
(4) I believe God wants to bless us physically. I
know God gives some a cross to bear, but I
believe that with the weight of the cross comes
addition grace to bear it.
b. Sadly, most Christians do not understand that these
blessings all come in the context of being filled
with knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual understanding.
(1) Building your life beyond the will of God will
never bring blessings.
(2) Blessings come when we get back to the Bible,
praying, listening to the Holy Spirit, and
discerning what God wants us to do.
(3) If you want God’s blessings, you must do it God’s
way.
3. \\#10\\ That you would increase in the knowledge of God.
a. \\#9\\ Paul was praying the Christians would increase
in the knowledge of God’s will.
b. Here, he is praying that they would increase in the
knowledge of God.
(1) The first is getting to know what God wants.
(2) The second is getting to know God.
c. God does not just want us to know about Him. He wants
us to know Him.
4. \\#11\\ That you would be strengthened with might, power,
patience, and longsuffering.
a. These items seem to balance the Christian life.
(1) One set, might and power, hint at the authority
or power of the Christian to FORCE the world
into subjection to God.
(2) The other set, patience and longsuffering with
joy, hint at the ENDURANCE needed in the
Christian life to tolerate what the world might
force upon us.
b. And such is the Christian life.
(1) We are constantly battling.
(2) Sometimes, it seems God’s will for us to effect
the world for change; and sometimes it seems
that we are forced to endure what the world
wills on us.
(3) As the old expression goes, "Sometimes you get
the bear and sometimes the bear gets you."
c. Hence, we need both the POWER attributes and the
ENDURANCE attributes to be a strong Christian in this
age.
(1) We need courage enough to advance the cause of
Christ when so directed.
(2) We need strength enough to withstand the scourge
of this world when God wills it.
So what was Paul’s goal for the church at Colossi? The same as ours
should be for ourselves and the same as God’s is for us; that we
would seek a wise, discerning spirit which would direct us in godly
and faithful paths.
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