Praying Like A Boss

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father,”

                                                               Colossians 1:9-12a

“For this reason”.

Today’s post could very well be a profound moment for you.  I might even go as far as to say it just might change you life, especially your prayer life.  Prepare yourself to be amazed, stunned and energized by today’s thoughts.  If you are reading this on the fly, my advice is for you to save it for later.  This post should command your full attention.  Yet that attention will have a huge spiritual payout.  It will be worth it.   Your prayer life will have the potential to be catapulted into new realms of fruitfulness.  If applied, you could become a boss at prayer. Be honest, who doesn’t want to be a boss at prayer?  So, if you do have a moment, settle your heart and mind because what we are going to learn is Just That Good.

Praying for others.  Sometimes that can be really hard.  My biggest problem with praying for others is the discouragement factor.  I can get overwhelmed with the abundance of needs I see.  I am disheartened when persistent prayers go unanswered.  I feel dissuaded when I just don’t know how to pray for a situation.  Have you been there?  What if today you could learn how to pray for every single situation a good solid powerful prayer?  A one and done kind of prayer.  Would that energize your prayer life and give you the confidence that seems lacking?  What if you knew for sure that you could pray a prayer that would absolutely come to fruition?  I don’t know about you, but sign me up.  I am just that weary of feeling defeated in my intercession for others. 

Paul starts this section of scripture with the words “for this reason”.  What was his reason?  Not entirely sure, but I found four good ones.  The best way to isolate the reasons is to ask the question “why pray”?

Because the church at Colossae were proven believers.  We know that the church at Colossae were true believers because it was evidenced by the faith and love that they displayed.  Paul is about to pray but this prayer is meant for believers.  We should be praying for each other.  If believers aren’t praying for each other than who will.  Let’s face it we need prayer to walk in the fullness of what God has given us.  If we aren’t praying for each other as a collective body of believers, we will be weak as a collective body of believers.  We need to pray for each other.

Because the church at Colossae was in danger.  Do you remember that false teachers were trying to convince that the believers in Colossae needed something other than Jesus?  What they were trying to sell was knowledge, wisdom and understanding apart from Christ.  Paul used those words intentionally.  He was clarifying for them that all the knowledge, wisdom and understanding they needed they already had. That is why Paul prayed that God would “fill them with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding”.  The problem wasn’t that they didn’t have it, but they need a deeper understanding and that can only be revealed through the Spirit. 

We too are in danger.  There are lots of false God’s out there that are trying to convince us that we need more of something, anything other than what we already have in Christ.  Many of these false Gods have infiltrated our Christian minds and we are completely unaware.  Gods of wealth, acceptance, health, purpose, security and so forth.  What do you feel you need plus Jesus?  That could very well be your false God.  There are a lot of false teachers out there and some are even in our churches and they are trying to convince you that Jesus isn’t enough.  Don’t buy into that.  He is. 

Because the church at Colossae was in Colossae.  Do you remember where Paul was?  He was in Rome and in prison.  It isn’t like he could be there with them in Colossae correcting and encouraging and chasing away the false teachers.  He could and did write a letter but he knew still better that God could and would help them on behalf of his intercession.  Sometimes we are bound either by distance or circumstance and can not physically make a difference in others lives.  We get frustrated and forget that praying for others is exactly the right solution.

Because the church of Colossae needed an “in order that”.   What follows this verse directly are the words “in order that” and then a list of awesome and wonderful what would seem like requests.  What I learned was that Paul wasn’t necessarily praying for those things but describing the fruit of his being “filled to the knowledge of God’s will” prayer.  Things like:  

         “living a life worthy of the Lord”

         “doing what is pleasing in his sight”

         “bearing fruit in every good work”

         “growing in the knowledge of God”

         “being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that they might have endurance and patience”

         “joyfully giving thanks to the Father.”

Know anyone who could use some of these.  I do.  Well then pray that “God would fill them with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”  It is their choice whether they obey and yield to that knowledge or not but at least you are giving them what they need most.  Profound.  Amazing.  Stunning.  Praying for others has just gotten so much easier.  

One and done.  Try it for thirty days with someone you know and see what happens.   Especially with someone you know who is willing to cooperate with the knowledge when they receive it.  Go ahead and give it a try.  Pray like a boss!

As it is the business of tailors to make clothes and of cobblers to mend shoes, so it is the business of Christians to pray.

                                                                        Martin Luther