“So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.”
Colossians 1:9-10 NLT
“How should we pray?” This question has been at the heart of Christian living since the disciples asked Jesus about it two thousand years ago. Jesus’ prayer showed us a method of prayer that can be overlayed into every encounter with God. Here, Paul shows what it looks like in specific and practical terms. In short, when we pray, we pray for God’s will. In specific, when we pray, we express our specific desires for God’s willl. Knowing details of those we pray for, we can target specific aspects to be a blessing or for thanks. For Collossae, there was a need to combat the gnostic influence of the area and the superstitious way of looking at knowledge. Therefore, Paul speaks specifically about his prayer for God’s version of knowledge to be present for in their lives. This required Paul to have a specific knowledge of their struggles. He gained this through sharing with Epaphras rather than at first hand. This gives us a picture of how to stay connected and intercede in a low tech life. This skill of simple communication often seems loss in the high tech instant, and often meaningless, communication of the modern world. It is ironic how many Christians don’t know how to pray or what to pray for despite having more ability to tools at their disposal than has ever been.
JOSH McGARY. COM 