This will be the final reflection on the prayers of Paul. I hope you’ve enjoyed them and that they have been helpful.
1 Thessalonians 1
2We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 4knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.
Paul begins his first letter to the Thessalonian church by telling them how grateful he is to God for them. He goes on to list the reasons for his gratitude. Their “work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father” has made an indelible impression on him.
Faith, hope and love—sound familiar? 1 Corinthians 13:13 says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Faith, hope and love are enduring, and anything obtained or accomplished through faith, hope and love will last for eternity. Conversely, anything obtained or accomplished through independence, greed and selfishness may satisfy momentarily, but will not last.
Therefore, the reason Paul is so grateful for the Thessalonian church is the fact that they are actively investing their time and energy into that which will yield an eternal reward. I am using the word ‘actively’ for good reason. Faith, hope and love do not exist in a vacuum. Each must be put into action in order to be effective. That is why Paul emphasizes the action of their “work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope.” Let’s look at each one individually.
James tells us that faith without works is dead. But the faith of the Thessalonian believers must have been very much alive for Paul to make special mention of their “work of faith.” How active is our faith? Would Paul see enough evidence in our lives to commend us as he did the Thessalonian church?
We’ve all heard someone say, “That was a real labour of love!” It usually indicates that they have done something for someone that was unpleasant or that required great sacrifice. The point being that their love for that someone outweighed any personal cost associated with what was done. Jesus performed the ultimate labour of love for us. Hebrews tells us that Jesus, “for the joy set before him endured the cross.” Every day we are presented with many opportunities to perform labours of love. The degree of love in our hearts determines whether or not we will take those opportunities.
Hope that is real will endure. Otherwise, it is merely wishful thinking. What causes hope to endure is its object. Paul identifies “our Lord Jesus Christ” as the object the Thessalonian believers’ unshakable hope. We pin our hope on all kinds of things: other people, our abilities, luck, the weather. But the only hope that does not disappoint is hope in God. We also hope for many things: to win the lottery, for our team to win the championship, to pass a test. But only our hope for God to fulfil His promises is certain.
Today let’s pray:
That our faith will be characterised by action.
That God would fill our hearts with self-sacrificing love.
That our hope would be in God alone.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Prayers of Paul 11
2 Thessalonians 1 - continued
11Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Remember from last week that Paul is writing to encourage the Thessalonian believers in the persecution and hardship they are facing. And his prayer gives us some insight into Paul’s understanding of what they must have been thinking and feeling as they endured great suffering at the hands of unbelievers. First, Paul redirects the Thessalonian believers’ focus from their present suffering to an eternal perspective on their position as citizens of God’s Kingdom.
Next, Paul focuses on God’s character and power. In the midst of their suffering Paul knew that the Thessalonian believers would be tempted to doubt two things. First, they may begin to doubt God’s goodness, and second, they may doubt the effectiveness of their faith. Therefore, Paul emphasizes in his prayer that God is accomplishing something good through them, and that God will use their faith in combination with His power to accomplish it.
We can learn much from this section of Paul’s prayer. Often, Christians who are suffering ask two questions. Probably the most common question is, “How can a God who is good allow this suffering?” Someone once taught me a principle that I’ve never forgotten and that I have applied often. He said, “When you are confused about what God is allowing to happen, and you are tempted to doubt His goodness, go back to what you know to be true about His character.” The Bible tells us that, among other things, God is good, just, faithful, trustworthy, loving and kind. And He will “fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness” in you no matter what your circumstances.
Probably the second most common question asked by suffering Christians is, “What is wrong with my faith that God is not answering my prayers to end this suffering?” Another important principle applies here. Our faith in God does not guarantee that we will not suffer, but it does guarantee that we have available all that we need in order to endure until the suffering comes to an end. I believe that this is the “work of faith with power” to which Paul was referring.
Paul concludes his prayer by disclosing the ultimate purpose behind everything that the Thessalonian Christians are going through, and the ultimate purpose behind the suffering for the Gospel experienced by any Christian— “that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him.” Because God is the One who will “fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power,” He is the One who will receive the glory. And those who suffer will receive glory from Him, “according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Today, let’s pray for those who are suffering:
That they will trust in God’s goodness.
That they will not waver in their faith.
That God will be glorified in them.
11Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Remember from last week that Paul is writing to encourage the Thessalonian believers in the persecution and hardship they are facing. And his prayer gives us some insight into Paul’s understanding of what they must have been thinking and feeling as they endured great suffering at the hands of unbelievers. First, Paul redirects the Thessalonian believers’ focus from their present suffering to an eternal perspective on their position as citizens of God’s Kingdom.
Next, Paul focuses on God’s character and power. In the midst of their suffering Paul knew that the Thessalonian believers would be tempted to doubt two things. First, they may begin to doubt God’s goodness, and second, they may doubt the effectiveness of their faith. Therefore, Paul emphasizes in his prayer that God is accomplishing something good through them, and that God will use their faith in combination with His power to accomplish it.
We can learn much from this section of Paul’s prayer. Often, Christians who are suffering ask two questions. Probably the most common question is, “How can a God who is good allow this suffering?” Someone once taught me a principle that I’ve never forgotten and that I have applied often. He said, “When you are confused about what God is allowing to happen, and you are tempted to doubt His goodness, go back to what you know to be true about His character.” The Bible tells us that, among other things, God is good, just, faithful, trustworthy, loving and kind. And He will “fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness” in you no matter what your circumstances.
Probably the second most common question asked by suffering Christians is, “What is wrong with my faith that God is not answering my prayers to end this suffering?” Another important principle applies here. Our faith in God does not guarantee that we will not suffer, but it does guarantee that we have available all that we need in order to endure until the suffering comes to an end. I believe that this is the “work of faith with power” to which Paul was referring.
Paul concludes his prayer by disclosing the ultimate purpose behind everything that the Thessalonian Christians are going through, and the ultimate purpose behind the suffering for the Gospel experienced by any Christian— “that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him.” Because God is the One who will “fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power,” He is the One who will receive the glory. And those who suffer will receive glory from Him, “according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Today, let’s pray for those who are suffering:
That they will trust in God’s goodness.
That they will not waver in their faith.
That God will be glorified in them.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Prayers of Paul 10
2 Thessalonians 1
11Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul was so proud of the Thessalonian church that he boasted of them “among the churches of God for [their] patience and faith in all [their] persecutions and tribulations that [they] endure” (2 Thessalonians 1:4). Paul is writing to encourage them in the persecution and hardship they are facing. And his prayer for them gives us some insight into Paul’s understanding of what they must have been thinking and feeling as they endured their suffering at the hands of unbelievers.
First, Paul redirected the Thessalonian believers’ focus from their present suffering to an eternal perspective on their position as citizens of God’s Kingdom. He encouraged them to live in light of this perspective by reminding them that upon Christ’s return He will “give you who are troubled rest” (2 Thessalonians 1:7) and will “repay with tribulation those who trouble you” (2 Thessalonians 1:8). And in light of this eternal perspective he prayed, “that our God would count you worthy of this calling.” The calling to which Paul is referring here is the same one about which he wrote to the Philippian church saying, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). Paul is praying that the Thessalonian believers will remain faithful to the end and will not disqualify themselves through unbelief.
In the midst of suffering it is easy for us to lose sight of the eternal perspective and to focus only on our current unpleasant circumstances. This is especially true when our suffering is the result of the malicious words or deeds of another person or group. Our minds go toward thoughts of revenge for the injustice of our situation. Therefore, we need to heed Paul’s reminder that vengeance belongs to God, and that our responsibility in a situation in which we are suffering is to maintain our intimate walk with God and to guard our hearts from growing cold.
Let’s pray for:
Those whose hearts have grown cold as a result of their suffering.
Those who are being persecuted for their faith.
Those who are persecuting Christians.
11Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul was so proud of the Thessalonian church that he boasted of them “among the churches of God for [their] patience and faith in all [their] persecutions and tribulations that [they] endure” (2 Thessalonians 1:4). Paul is writing to encourage them in the persecution and hardship they are facing. And his prayer for them gives us some insight into Paul’s understanding of what they must have been thinking and feeling as they endured their suffering at the hands of unbelievers.
First, Paul redirected the Thessalonian believers’ focus from their present suffering to an eternal perspective on their position as citizens of God’s Kingdom. He encouraged them to live in light of this perspective by reminding them that upon Christ’s return He will “give you who are troubled rest” (2 Thessalonians 1:7) and will “repay with tribulation those who trouble you” (2 Thessalonians 1:8). And in light of this eternal perspective he prayed, “that our God would count you worthy of this calling.” The calling to which Paul is referring here is the same one about which he wrote to the Philippian church saying, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). Paul is praying that the Thessalonian believers will remain faithful to the end and will not disqualify themselves through unbelief.
In the midst of suffering it is easy for us to lose sight of the eternal perspective and to focus only on our current unpleasant circumstances. This is especially true when our suffering is the result of the malicious words or deeds of another person or group. Our minds go toward thoughts of revenge for the injustice of our situation. Therefore, we need to heed Paul’s reminder that vengeance belongs to God, and that our responsibility in a situation in which we are suffering is to maintain our intimate walk with God and to guard our hearts from growing cold.
Let’s pray for:
Those whose hearts have grown cold as a result of their suffering.
Those who are being persecuted for their faith.
Those who are persecuting Christians.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Prayers of Paul 09
Romans 15
30Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, 31that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.
Paul prayed for believers in the churches that he and the other apostles had planted. Paul prayed for unbelievers to come to Christ. But Paul also prayed for himself, and he shared his need for prayer with others so that they could also pray for him.
Paul is writing to the Roman believers from Corinth during his third missionary journey. His plans are to travel from Corinth to Jerusalem to deliver an offering from the Gentile churches to the poor among the believers there. Then from Jerusalem he hopes to visit Rome on his way to Spain. Therefore, he is asking the Roman believers to join with him in praying for three things.
First, he asks them to pray “that [he] may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe.” This request is perfectly understandable when you remember that Paul used to be a Pharisee. The Jews in Judea would know all too well that the man they knew as Saul had turned his back on their devotion to the Law of Moses to embrace the new ‘heresy’ being spread by the followers of Jesus of Nazareth. This made him an enemy in their eyes worthy of being stoned to death. In spite of this, Paul made his plans to travel to Jerusalem.
Second, Paul asks them to pray “that [his] service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints.” Paul’s “service” consisted of delivering an offering from the Gentile churches to the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. At first it seems strange that Paul would be concerned that this offering might not be accepted. Surely the Christians in Jerusalem wouldn’t be that ungrateful! But Bible commentators give two possible explanations for this concern. First, the Jewish believers in Jerusalem may still have harboured some degree of prejudice toward the Gentiles. And second, the Jewish believers in Jerusalem had probably heard that Paul advocated against the Gentile believers having to obey all of the Law, even preventing them from being circumcised. These two factors may have caused them to reject both the gift and the one delivering it.
Finally, Paul asks the Roman believers to pray that he “may come to [them] with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with [them].” We can assume that Paul read and studied the Scriptures regularly, and we know that he prayed constantly. But the journey ahead would be difficult and that he was in for a tough time during his visit to Jerusalem. He knew that by the time he left Jerusalem he would be in need of some refreshment, and he was looking forward to being refreshed not by private study and prayer, but by sharing in fellowship and worship with the believers in Rome.
This week let’s pray:
That we would follow Paul’s example by sharing our burdens and needs with others who will pray for us.
That we would be faithful in prayer for others who need our prayers.
That we would recognise and take advantage of the refreshing that comes from sharing in fellowship and worship with other believers.
30Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, 31that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.
Paul prayed for believers in the churches that he and the other apostles had planted. Paul prayed for unbelievers to come to Christ. But Paul also prayed for himself, and he shared his need for prayer with others so that they could also pray for him.
Paul is writing to the Roman believers from Corinth during his third missionary journey. His plans are to travel from Corinth to Jerusalem to deliver an offering from the Gentile churches to the poor among the believers there. Then from Jerusalem he hopes to visit Rome on his way to Spain. Therefore, he is asking the Roman believers to join with him in praying for three things.
First, he asks them to pray “that [he] may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe.” This request is perfectly understandable when you remember that Paul used to be a Pharisee. The Jews in Judea would know all too well that the man they knew as Saul had turned his back on their devotion to the Law of Moses to embrace the new ‘heresy’ being spread by the followers of Jesus of Nazareth. This made him an enemy in their eyes worthy of being stoned to death. In spite of this, Paul made his plans to travel to Jerusalem.
Second, Paul asks them to pray “that [his] service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints.” Paul’s “service” consisted of delivering an offering from the Gentile churches to the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. At first it seems strange that Paul would be concerned that this offering might not be accepted. Surely the Christians in Jerusalem wouldn’t be that ungrateful! But Bible commentators give two possible explanations for this concern. First, the Jewish believers in Jerusalem may still have harboured some degree of prejudice toward the Gentiles. And second, the Jewish believers in Jerusalem had probably heard that Paul advocated against the Gentile believers having to obey all of the Law, even preventing them from being circumcised. These two factors may have caused them to reject both the gift and the one delivering it.
Finally, Paul asks the Roman believers to pray that he “may come to [them] with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with [them].” We can assume that Paul read and studied the Scriptures regularly, and we know that he prayed constantly. But the journey ahead would be difficult and that he was in for a tough time during his visit to Jerusalem. He knew that by the time he left Jerusalem he would be in need of some refreshment, and he was looking forward to being refreshed not by private study and prayer, but by sharing in fellowship and worship with the believers in Rome.
This week let’s pray:
That we would follow Paul’s example by sharing our burdens and needs with others who will pray for us.
That we would be faithful in prayer for others who need our prayers.
That we would recognise and take advantage of the refreshing that comes from sharing in fellowship and worship with other believers.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Prayers of Paul 08
1 Thessalonians 3
9How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.
11Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
Paul wants the Thessalonian believers to be complete in their faith. The Greek work translated as “supply” means to complete thoroughly. He prays a similar thing for the Corinthian believers in 2 Corinthians 13:9, “And this also we pray, that you may be made complete.” Evidently, even Epaphras, one of Paul’s team members, had picked up Paul’s heart, since in his letter to the Colossians Paul writes, “Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”
A building is only as strong as its foundation. Before a building can be completed its foundation must be secure. The same can be said of believers. Before a believer can grow to maturity, his or her spiritual foundation must also be secure. In preparation for Paul’s visit, during which he hopes to build into the lives of the Thessalonian believers, Paul prays for their foundations to be strengthened in two ways.
First, Paul prays, “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else.” It’s no surprise that Paul considers love to be an important part of a believer’s foundation. Jesus summed up the whole of the law in one word, “Love.” But there are two interesting aspects to Paul’s prayer regarding love. First, he identifies God as the source of love—not the believers. God lays this foundation in us. It is not something we can manufacture ourselves. Second, he prays that the Lord would make their love increase and overflow. The bigger the foundation, the bigger the building that can be built. Paul wants large capacity believers, so he prays for large foundations.
Second, Paul prays, “May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.” Again, he identifies God as the source—this time of strength. Foundations need to be strong, first to support the weight of what is built on top of them, and then to resist the storms that will threaten to destroy the building. The Greek word translated as "heart" means the thoughts or feelings. Our mind is a powerful gift from God. What we think and feel determines our response to adversity. But we can be angry and not sin. We can be disappointed without becoming hopeless. We can be sad without becoming lost in depression. All these are possible, not in our own strength, but as God strengthens our hearts.
Today, let’s pray that…
Our foundation of love will increase to overflowing.
Our hearts would be strengthened and able to withstand every storm.
God will finish His work in us, making us complete and mature.
9How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 10Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.
11Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
Paul wants the Thessalonian believers to be complete in their faith. The Greek work translated as “supply” means to complete thoroughly. He prays a similar thing for the Corinthian believers in 2 Corinthians 13:9, “And this also we pray, that you may be made complete.” Evidently, even Epaphras, one of Paul’s team members, had picked up Paul’s heart, since in his letter to the Colossians Paul writes, “Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”
A building is only as strong as its foundation. Before a building can be completed its foundation must be secure. The same can be said of believers. Before a believer can grow to maturity, his or her spiritual foundation must also be secure. In preparation for Paul’s visit, during which he hopes to build into the lives of the Thessalonian believers, Paul prays for their foundations to be strengthened in two ways.
First, Paul prays, “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else.” It’s no surprise that Paul considers love to be an important part of a believer’s foundation. Jesus summed up the whole of the law in one word, “Love.” But there are two interesting aspects to Paul’s prayer regarding love. First, he identifies God as the source of love—not the believers. God lays this foundation in us. It is not something we can manufacture ourselves. Second, he prays that the Lord would make their love increase and overflow. The bigger the foundation, the bigger the building that can be built. Paul wants large capacity believers, so he prays for large foundations.
Second, Paul prays, “May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.” Again, he identifies God as the source—this time of strength. Foundations need to be strong, first to support the weight of what is built on top of them, and then to resist the storms that will threaten to destroy the building. The Greek word translated as "heart" means the thoughts or feelings. Our mind is a powerful gift from God. What we think and feel determines our response to adversity. But we can be angry and not sin. We can be disappointed without becoming hopeless. We can be sad without becoming lost in depression. All these are possible, not in our own strength, but as God strengthens our hearts.
Today, let’s pray that…
Our foundation of love will increase to overflowing.
Our hearts would be strengthened and able to withstand every storm.
God will finish His work in us, making us complete and mature.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Prayers of Paul 07
All of us want to please God. But did you know that the Bible tells us exactly how to please Him? Colossians 1:9-12 says…
9For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
Before doing anything, we first need to know God’s will. Paul prays that the Colossian believers may not only know His will, but that they will “be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” Paul wants his readers to be complete in their knowledge and understanding of God’s will for them. There’s no room for doubt or uncertainty when one is filled with this knowledge.
Once they’ve fully understood God’s will, Paul then wants his readers to walk appropriately in it. Paul says that this will not only be pleasing to God, but that it will fully please Him. Stop and think about that for a moment. We don’t have to do anything to earn God’s love, but we can do something to make Him fully pleased with us! Paul goes on to pray about three elements that must be present in order for us to fully please God.
First, Paul prays that his readers may please God by “being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” It’s not enough for us to know God’s will. We have to do it. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” And when we walk in the works that God has prepared for us, He will make sure we are fruitful. Part of God’s will for us is to know Him more and more. In order to do this we MUST read and study the Bible. There is no adequate substitute for regular, personal delving into God’s Word.
Second, Paul prays that his readers may please God by being “strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.” God’s strength is available to all believers. So why don’t all believers walk in His strength? The answer is that many believers are so often too busy trying to walk in their own strength. It’s a subtle trap. As long as everything is going well, we can be fruitful in what we are doing without much reliance on God. But the real test comes in bad times. Then, only if we have trained ourselves to rely on God’s limitless strength, will we be able to have the patience and longsuffering to remain fruitful even during the most intense trials.
Finally, Paul prays that his readers may please God by “giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.” All believers have received an inheritance from the Father—eternal life. We benefit from this inheritance when we walk “in the light.” In the light we can see the good works that He has prepared for us; we can see Him and get to know Him more; and we can see His presence and power in the midst of our trails. This enables us to be thankful in the good as well as the bad.
Let’s pray for the following…
That we will be filled with the knowledge of His will for our lives.
That we will be fruitful in the works He has prepared for us.
For every opportunity we have to know Him more.
That we will be strong in Him, not try to cope in our own strength.
And finally, let’s give Him thanks for all that we have received from Him.
9For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
Before doing anything, we first need to know God’s will. Paul prays that the Colossian believers may not only know His will, but that they will “be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” Paul wants his readers to be complete in their knowledge and understanding of God’s will for them. There’s no room for doubt or uncertainty when one is filled with this knowledge.
Once they’ve fully understood God’s will, Paul then wants his readers to walk appropriately in it. Paul says that this will not only be pleasing to God, but that it will fully please Him. Stop and think about that for a moment. We don’t have to do anything to earn God’s love, but we can do something to make Him fully pleased with us! Paul goes on to pray about three elements that must be present in order for us to fully please God.
First, Paul prays that his readers may please God by “being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” It’s not enough for us to know God’s will. We have to do it. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” And when we walk in the works that God has prepared for us, He will make sure we are fruitful. Part of God’s will for us is to know Him more and more. In order to do this we MUST read and study the Bible. There is no adequate substitute for regular, personal delving into God’s Word.
Second, Paul prays that his readers may please God by being “strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.” God’s strength is available to all believers. So why don’t all believers walk in His strength? The answer is that many believers are so often too busy trying to walk in their own strength. It’s a subtle trap. As long as everything is going well, we can be fruitful in what we are doing without much reliance on God. But the real test comes in bad times. Then, only if we have trained ourselves to rely on God’s limitless strength, will we be able to have the patience and longsuffering to remain fruitful even during the most intense trials.
Finally, Paul prays that his readers may please God by “giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.” All believers have received an inheritance from the Father—eternal life. We benefit from this inheritance when we walk “in the light.” In the light we can see the good works that He has prepared for us; we can see Him and get to know Him more; and we can see His presence and power in the midst of our trails. This enables us to be thankful in the good as well as the bad.
Let’s pray for the following…
That we will be filled with the knowledge of His will for our lives.
That we will be fruitful in the works He has prepared for us.
For every opportunity we have to know Him more.
That we will be strong in Him, not try to cope in our own strength.
And finally, let’s give Him thanks for all that we have received from Him.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Prayers of Paul 06
Ephesians 3
14For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—19to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
What a prayer! Paul is covering every way available for us to experience God’s complete and perfect presence in our lives. He prays to the Father; asks for the strengthening of the Holy Spirit; and desires for Christ to take up residence within believers. Paul wants believers to be strengthened in their inner man; to have hearts that are fit to be dwelling places for Christ; and to have minds that can grasp and possess the multi-dimensional and infinite love of God. In short, he wants the believers to be complete in God through experiencing (or being filled by) His fullness. But how can we as finite beings contain all of God’s infinite fullness? It seems impossible!
The answer lies in the fact that Paul is praying to a God “who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.” This infinite God loves us so much that He actually made a Way for weak, finite, sinful humans to become acceptable vessels to contain His presence and power. What Way?… through simple faith in Jesus Christ.
But there’s a catch! No individual believer or group of believers can comprehend all that is God. It will require “all the saints” to contain all that God wants to give of Himself. In other words, it is in the Church universal, the Bride of Christ, which God has chosen to deposit His divine attributes. This is not the flawed and divided form of the Church that is currently visible. It is the pure, spotless Church that Jesus Himself is building and for which He will ultimately return.
Let’s praise God for indwelling us with His presence and power!
14For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—19to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
What a prayer! Paul is covering every way available for us to experience God’s complete and perfect presence in our lives. He prays to the Father; asks for the strengthening of the Holy Spirit; and desires for Christ to take up residence within believers. Paul wants believers to be strengthened in their inner man; to have hearts that are fit to be dwelling places for Christ; and to have minds that can grasp and possess the multi-dimensional and infinite love of God. In short, he wants the believers to be complete in God through experiencing (or being filled by) His fullness. But how can we as finite beings contain all of God’s infinite fullness? It seems impossible!
The answer lies in the fact that Paul is praying to a God “who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.” This infinite God loves us so much that He actually made a Way for weak, finite, sinful humans to become acceptable vessels to contain His presence and power. What Way?… through simple faith in Jesus Christ.
But there’s a catch! No individual believer or group of believers can comprehend all that is God. It will require “all the saints” to contain all that God wants to give of Himself. In other words, it is in the Church universal, the Bride of Christ, which God has chosen to deposit His divine attributes. This is not the flawed and divided form of the Church that is currently visible. It is the pure, spotless Church that Jesus Himself is building and for which He will ultimately return.
Let’s praise God for indwelling us with His presence and power!
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