We also, from the day we heard of your faith and love, do not cease praying and asking for you, to the end that ye may be filled with the full knowledge of His will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so as to walk worthily of the Lord unto all well-pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and growing by the true knowledge of God; strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory unto all endurance and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father. Colossians 1:9–12 JND
Paul was a man of prayer, and some of his prayers have been recorded for us in the inspired Word of God. These prayers, found in a number of his epistles, have a tremendous depth and yet are simple and straightforward. Linked with wonderful teachings, Paul’s prayers show us the wealth of the blessings and relationships into which we have been introduced.
Paul’s desire for the believers is also God’s desire: that we would be filled with the full knowledge of His will, with no room for anything else. Are we filled, controlled by God’s will, not as robots but as His beloved sons, with all wisdom and spiritual understanding? God’s truth is always very practical. The knowledge of God’s will is needed for a walk that suits Him, so that our lives may always glorify Him. So Paul prays in Colossians 1 that we may:
1. Be filled with His knowledge and be in the right moral condition;
2. Walk worthily of the Lord in a manner that glorifies Him, recognizing and honoring His greatness;
3. Please Him in word and work, promoting His interests;
4. Bear fruit in every good work—God is looking for fruit;
5. Make progress, growing in our relationship with Him;
6. Be strengthened by God’s power to endure and suffer, with joy;
7. Give thanks to the Father, who seeks worshipers.