Challenging Prayer

 Sunday morning's Praying with Paul lesson is from Colossians 1:9 - 14.

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.

Once again we read about ceaseless prayer.  This ceaseless prayer is in response to Epaphras' report of the Colossian's love in the Spirit for the saints and their faith in Jesus Christ.  Paul's prayer is that they would be controlled ("filled") by a deep, thorough, personal understanding of God and His will.  Paul was not praying that they would have a glimpse of God's future plan.  He was praying they would understand "the guidance of the Holy Spirit according to the proper interpretation of the Scriptures."

Spiritual knowledge leads to a life ("walk") lived in a way that pleases God in all respects.  This cannot be done in our own strength.  It can only be done in Christ.  Galatians 2:20 says "I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life  I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."  This God-given filling also results in fruitfulness, ongoing growth in knowledge, continuous strength from God himself, and joyous endurance of trials.

Paul's prayer for the Colossians ends with giving thanks to God who has empowered ("qualified")  them through Jesus Christ to share in eternal life and the promises of God ("inheritance").  What a great privilege it is to be rescued from sin and moved into a right relationship with God ("transferred to the kingdom") through God's son, who frees us ("redemption") which results in our sins being forgiven. 

John MacArthur's commentary on Colossians closes this section of scripture with the following quote.

So Christ's death on our behalf paid the price to redeem us.  On that basis, God forgave our sins, granted us an inheritance, delivered us from the power of darkness and made us subjects of Christ's kingdom.  Those wonderful truths should cause us to give thanks to God continually as did Paul in this prayer.