Prayer for daily life.

Colossians  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Introduction

We are diving in together looking at the book of Colossians. A quick recap from last week, we have to keep in mind that Colossians is a letter written for a purpose.
The purpose that this letter was written is that there was a “philosophy” that was threatening the Colossian congregation to the point that the concern had reached Paul.
That philosophy was likely influence from Jewish synagogues trying to convince the Colossian Christians that they were not doing the correct thing.
Last week we looked at the beginning portion of Paul and Timothy’s prayer of thanksgiving.
We saw how they prayed and thanked God for the Colossians because of their love.
We saw how the gospel was taught them by Epaphras and how the gospel has power and is increasing and bearing fruit throughout the world.
Today we will continue in the prayer of thanksgiving.
Through Paul and Timothy’s prayer of thanksgiving we will see a prayer for growth that provides us examples of how we should pray and live.

What is the purpose of prayer?

Prayer is modeled for us in multiple places throughout the Bible.
In Luke we see the prophetess Anna, serving the Lord
She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. :37-38
We are given a command to pray in

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

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We also see prayer modeled for us by Jesus and the disciples. There are multiple times in the gospels where Jesus leaves to spend time in prayer.
After Jesus ascended we see an example 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. .
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Prayer most importantly builds our relationship with Jesus.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .
Who here as hear of Dietrich Bonhoeffer?
I have been listening to his biography. Describe a little about Bonhoeffer.
Bonhoeffer describes the need for morning prayer specifically and the difference that doing it or neglecting prayer makes.
The morning prayer determines the day. Squandered time of which we are ashamed, temptations to which we succumb, weaknesses and lack of discipline our thoughts and in our conversations with other men, all have their origin most often in the neglect of morning prayer. Order and distribution of your time becomes more firm where they originate in prayer.
Temptations which accompany the working day will be conquered on the basis of morning breakthrough to God. Decisions demanded by work become easier and simpler where they are made not in fear of men but only in the sight of God.
Bonhoeffer quotes “Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men”. Even mechanical work is done in a more patient way if it arises from the recognition of God and His command. The powers to work take hold, therefore, at the place where we have prayed to God. He wants to give us today the power which we need for our work.
Bonhoeffer in his illegal seminaries set aside a time when all of the students would be in prayer, not necessarily together but at the same time.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .
In one of
Prayer was extremely important to Bonhoeffer and one of the things I am sure that helped him in the end of his life in a concentration camp.
This passage today shows us another example of prayer. That is specifically intercessory prayer.
Paul and Timothy are praying for the Colossians. We see them praying that the Colossians be filled, that they take action, and that they give thanks for what God has done.
Paul and Timothy are not praying out of the Colossians need. They didn’t wait for them to be in trouble, but were praying for them before the news of trouble had reached them.
As I stated earlier Paul and Timothy’s prayer here gives us examples of how we should pray and live.
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Prayer

Pray to be filled with the knowledge of His will. Verse 9

Verse 9 continues to show for us the hearts of Paul and Timothy. Early we saw them thanking God for the Colossians from the time they heard of their conversion.
It was also at that time, we now see that they began to pray specifically for them as believers.
Paul and Timothy began asking in their prayers that the Colossians be filled with the knowledge of God’s will.
Why would they seek to pray for the knowledge of God’s will?
For someone who believes in God, a person that “believes that God’s active purpose determines the ordering of the world, lies behind events on earth, and shapes their consequences, one of the most desirable objectives must be to know God’s will.” NIGTC
The idea that “the rich get richer is particularly true in the spiritual sphere: Knowledge of God’s will brings even more knowledge and spiritual growth.
Sin becomes a vicious cycle as it plunges us deeper and deeper into degradation.
Knowledge of God becomes a virtuous cycle as it leads us deeper and deeper into fulfilling God’s sovereign purposes.
As N.T. Wright puts it, “Understanding will fuel holiness; holiness will deepen understanding.” NIVAC
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To receive the gospel is to come to know God.

To know God is to do his will.

To do his will is to know more and more of God.

James D. G. Dunn, The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: William B. Eerdmans Publishing; Paternoster Press, 1996), 69.
The goal of being filled with the knowledge of God is to become more like Christ.
This is present in Paul’s other writings as well, especially the book of Romans wit verses like
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. .
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The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .
Also in the imagers of where Paul speaks of believers being baptized into the death of Christ Jesus.

4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

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There is a catchy book by the title All I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. Unfortunately many Christians share this attitude in regard to their faith. Some Christians think they learned all they need to know in the early days of their faith or church schooling perhaps and become ignorant to moving beyond their basic knowledge. Many would prefer to leave faith and doctrine to others, who dictate to them what they need to believe. This results in a group of people who are ignorant about what they believe and only have a dim awareness of God.

Growing in the knowledge of God. The catchy title of the book All I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten unfortunately reflects the attitudes of some Christians toward growing in knowledge in their Christian faith. They think they learned all they needed to know in the early days of their church schooling and are complacently apathetic about progressing beyond their elementary knowledge. Many would just as soon leave faith and doctrine to others, who then dictate to them what they need to believe. The result is that they remain woefully ignorant about what they believe and why and have only a dim awareness of God. Calvin wrote: “Faith rests not on ignorance, but on knowledge. And this is, indeed, knowledge not only of God but of the divine will.”

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It is important for us to grow in the knowledge of God for a couple of reasons.

unfortunately reflects the attitudes of some Christians toward growing in knowledge in their Christian faith. They think they learned all they needed to know in the early days of their church schooling and are complacently apathetic about progressing beyond their elementary knowledge. Many would just as soon leave faith and doctrine to others, who then dictate to them what they need to believe. The result is that they remain woefully ignorant about what they believe and why and have only a dim awareness of God. Calvin wrote: “Faith rests not on ignorance, but on knowledge. And this is, indeed, knowledge not only of God but of the divine will.”

Knowledge of God is essential for proper living.

One reason being that
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The knowledge of God is essential for proper living.
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We live in the information age, many of you older than I, I am sure remember a time when you had to buy a newspaper to see what was happening in the world.
Today you can have the news instantly update in your hand.
This has not made us wiser though, if anything it has given us more clutter to wade through.
We possess or can access a lot of know how but often have little appreciation for knowing the who made things they way they are.

Knowledge, however, is a means by which one grows in faith, which in turn leads to a life pleasing to God.

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A second reason that it is important for us to grow in the knowledge of God is
A thorough knowledge of God’s will gives us the ability to shield ourselves from false teaching.
Last Sunday I mentioned how there are multiple other groups and cults that take scripture and use it for their own purpose.
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We might agree with what they say if we are not growing in the knowledge of the will of God.
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There is also a danger of unknowingly allowing values and practices of our culture to dilute our faith beyond recognition.
The last portion of the verse can be translated a few different ways. ESV translates it “in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” It could also be all wisdom and spiritual understanding, or with the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.
Whatever the case the purpose here is the same and the idea is present that wisdom and understanding are both things that only come from the Spirit.

And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,

the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and might,

the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

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The purpose of this prayer for growth, the purpose of becoming like Christ in a prayer and deeds is seen in the following verse.
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Pray for action Verses 10-11

We are to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him.
The first idea that comes to mind as we read this statement is but wait, how exactly do I do that?
Paul continues to do well to anticipate our question here.
The NIV Application Commentary: Colossians and Philemon Intercession for the Colossians (1:9–14)

Paul lists four traits of the spiritual life that are pleasing to the Lord

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The NIV Application Commentary: Colossians and Philemon Intercession for the Colossians (1:9–14)

• “bearing fruit in every good work”

• “growing in the knowledge of God”

• “being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might8so that you may have great endurance and patience”

• “joyfully giving thanks to the Father.”

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Bearing fruit in every good work.

This phrase helps to remind us as Christians that we need to work out our faith in the way we live.
Some people mistake this to mean that “they still must do something more to earn their salvation. They attend faithfully, give sacrificially, and accumulate a long history of good works so that they can make themselves feel worthy before God.” NIVAC
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But we know this not to be ture.
David E. Garland, Colossians and Philemon, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998), 70.
We of course must not do anything to earn our salvation, Paul speaks to that specifically in when he says

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.

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There has to be a balance though. We err in our thinking when believe that we need to do nothing.
If all we do is get baptized, join a church, attend occasionally, and give nominally are we truly saved?
That is for God alone to judge.
Perhaps that is a part of the growth that we ought to be praying for.
The growth that leads to bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
I am sure this is much of why Paul and Timothy prayed as they did for the people as Paul was not stranger to this idea.
Paul would have had all the reason to boast, he was one of the most devoted pharisees.
In Paul recounts

If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

We have been released from the law and raised from the dead for a purpose as Paul writes in

4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

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If we think of people who we would consider to be heroes of the Christian who do we often think of?
a couple of people that come to mind for me off the top of my head
Jim Elliot
Billy Graham
and there are many more.
What do they have in common?
They were working for the Lord.
All of what they did and what Paul and Timothy were praying for goes back to what is shown in verse 11.

Being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you might have great endurance and patience.

It all comes from the strength that is provided by God’s glorious might.
Fruitful living is fully dependent upon divine enabling.
Half to the times that the word might is used in the New Testament are in doxologies, or praises to God.
The prayer is that they we strengthened with all power.
This is that word dunamis again, where dynamite comes from.
Paul is prayer that the believers be strengthened with this explosive power.
But also with a power that has a purpose.
The purpose is for that they have the power to persevere.
The Colossian church is more than likely still a young church.
It is by this power that they will continue to grow in the manner which they have.
We all know that life is difficult.
What better to pray for one another than the strength and power to endure difficulties with patience and joy.
Paul is singling out these two characteristics as important things that Christians need and are given to live in a world undaunted by crises and panics.
A patient longsuffering spirit is the product of God’s work in christian’s lives.
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The conviction that the Father of Jesus Christ is the sovereign Lord of the world, and that He is able to bring about His purposes in His own manner.
These are thing things that Paul and Timothy are praying for to increase in the Colossians. That prayer continues on to us as believers today and is a reason we can give thanks.
The fourth of these we will actually look at in the next section.
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Pray and joyfully give thanks. Verses 12-14

The prayer that Paul and Timothy have been praying over the Colossians comes to a culminations.
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This prayer is not only for knowledge and wisdom, for conduct that is fruitful in good works, and for patient endurance in testing circumstances but is infused with the experience of joy in thankfulness to the Father.
Instead of having joy joy joy joy down in their hearts it was joy overflowing!
If you are familiar with some of the evils commited against Christians during this period it is hard to imagine how they could have this sort of joy.
But it came through God.
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The NIV Application Commentary: Colossians and Philemon Intercession for the Colossians (1:9–14)

Paul specifies three reasons for “joyfully giving thanks” for what God the Father has done in Christ. Each is expressed by a verb in the aorist tense.

The NIV Application Commentary: Colossians and Philemon Intercession for the Colossians (1:9–14)

Paul specifies three reasons for “joyfully giving thanks” for what God the Father has done in Christ. Each is expressed by a verb in the aorist tense. (1) Paul says that God “has qualified [them] to share in the inheritance.”

The aorist tense is similar to past tense in English.
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The NIV Application Commentary: Colossians and Philemon Intercession for the Colossians (1:9–14)

Paul says that God “has qualified [them] to share in the inheritance.

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In literal translation God has qualified Christians to share in the inheritance. They were made fit to share in what was not theirs.
From a Jewish perspective, the inheritance was a literal plot of land. The promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
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Gentiles would have not legal right to this except through Christ.
The inheritance they would share was in light.
This evokes images of heaven.
The image of shared salvation for believers.
This is the first reason to be joyful.
The NIV Application Commentary: Colossians and Philemon Intercession for the Colossians (1:9–14)

(2) Paul affirms that God “has rescued” them from the harsh rule of the power of darkness.

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Paul reiterates this in another way for his second point.
Believers have been delivered from the domain of darkness.
Before placing faith in Christ, immorality, anger, strife, vengeance, violence, and oppression thrived.
The NIV Application Commentary: Colossians and Philemon Intercession for the Colossians (1:9–14)

C. S. Lewis’s description of the fictional land of Narnia, where it was always winter and never Christmas, expresses the same idea with different imagery. All humans need deliverance from a wasted life of sin and from the cosmic powers that keep them captive in sin.

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The NIV Application Commentary: Colossians and Philemon Intercession for the Colossians (1:9–14)

In Christ, God tears believers away from this dark power and moves them into the light.

Matthew 4:16 ESV
the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”
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Acts 26:18 ESV
to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
Acts
Ephesians 5:13 ESV
But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,
Eph
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1 Peter 2:9 ESV
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
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Which brings us to Paul’s third reason for joy.
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The NIV Application Commentary: Colossians and Philemon Intercession for the Colossians (1:9–14)

3) Like victorious kings who uproot whole populations and resettle them in other lands, God has wrested believers from the tyrannical rule of darkness and “brought [them] into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (lit., “the Son of his love”).

Believers are torn from their former lord - sin and moved into the king of God’s son. Jesus.
Forgiveness of sins
The NIV Application Commentary: Colossians and Philemon Intercession for the Colossians (1:9–14)

is not merely good news for troubled consciences

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The NIV Application Commentary: Colossians and Philemon Intercession for the Colossians (1:9–14)

The blessings of our final redemption have already broken into the present. Forgiveness of sins is not simply a liberation from the past; it sets us free for the present and future. It opens the possibility of living a life worthy of the Lord

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Paul and Timothy are reminding the Colossians just what has been done for them in their prayer.
It is all the more important to thank the Lord that He has moved us from darkness to light!

The significance prayer.

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The thanksgiving sections in Paul’s letters reveal how important prayer was for Paul. We can learn from Paul’s habit of praying constantly for others.

Paul prayed regularly.

Praying regularly.

Do you have a regular time that you pray?
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If you remember I said earlier that one of the things that Bonhoeffer instituted was a regular time for his students to pray. He also participated in that time. In one of his trips to America he was out of sorts because he found it difficult to continue praying at the same time he had set for everyone else to pray.
Paul’s prayers were regular, focused, intense, and intentional.
His prayer was regular, focused, intense, and intentional.
This stands in sharp contrast to phrases like “I’ll be thinking of you”

We are prone to pray only in emergencies—for those in need, in trouble, or in hard circumstances. Paul prayed continuously for his churches; he wrote them letters when trouble was brewing. Spiritual fortitude depends on regularity in prayer.

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Let us take the time to pray for one another and before crises occur.
When something does occur, let us take the time to pray immediately. Rather than saying, I will pray for you, let us take the time to pray.
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We ought to also

Pray with praise and thanksgiving.

Do we sometimes lack joy and thanksgiving in offering up our prayers?
I don’t know that Paul was a stranger to these feelings either but in his letters he models for us the idea of always giving thanks to God in prayer.
We can be preoccupied with evil that we fear is lurking around the corner.

We sometimes resort to prayer only when we feel under siege and then focus only on our problems.

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But we can always give thanks because we have been transferred into Jesus’ kingdom.
Because we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Praying for others.

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An important facet of our communal faith is that we pray for others, and they pray for us. Such mutual concern becomes crucial during those dark times when we may feel, for various reasons, unable to pray. We can rest assured that in our family of faith we are cared for, prayed for, and supported. But we tend to remember others in prayer only when we become aware of immediately pressing issues.

Paul’s intercessory prayers though “do not have him asking God to ‘fix’ people.” Instead, he exercises “preventive maintenance.”
Too often intercession waits until there is a problem.
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We are as C.S. Lewis writes
Specially in need of prayer because we are traveling across a plain called ease. Everything without and many things within are marvelously well at present.
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Prayer for spiritual development.

Paul recognized that what churches need most was to grow in the knowledge that will govern their faith and decisions.
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He prays that they will be filled with spiritual wisdom and will know the hope to which God has called them and will live accordingly.

Paul specifically prays for the Colossians’ spiritual development in this passage. He prays that they will blossom in the soil of God’s grace so that they will please God. He provides a model of intercessory prayer that we do not often emulate.

Paul and Timothy in this passage provide us with an amazing example of prayer that we can take and apply to how we pray and live.
Prayer
Regular, for others, with thanksgiving, for spiritual growth.
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David E. Garland, Colossians and Philemon, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998), 72.
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