Have you ever wondered how to pray for someone? Have you ever had a desire to pray for your fellow Christians, locally and globally, but were unsure of what to pray?
In the book of Colossians, Paul begins the letter with a prayer for these Christians he had never met. He had reports from others about them, but he had never met them personally. But knowing Paul, his heart was that every Christian enjoy a dynamic relationship with Christ, as he had. His joy was in the maturing of all saints in all places.
After exhorting the Colossians for the good reports he had received about them (1:4-8), Paul prays a prayer we can all follow as we seek to intercede for one another
Colossians 1:9-14: For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven't stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work, and growing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints' inheritance in the light. He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. We have redemption, the forgivenss of sins, in Him.
If we examine the topics of prayer discussed in the previous passage, we can find certain areas to cover in prayer:
1. Pray that others will fully understand God's will for their lives (1:9).
2. Pray that others will honor and please the Lord in every way (1:10).
3. Pray that others will continually bear good fruit (1:10).
4. Pray that they come to know God better every day (1:10).
5. Pray that the Lord empowers them to stand firm under pressure (1:11).
6. Pray that others' lives will overflow with thanksgiving and joy (1:12-14).*
Wouldn't you be excited to discover someone was praying this prayer over your life?
Shouldn't these aspects be something we all desire as we seek to grow in the Lord?
Take time today to pray for your local church, for the national church, and for the global church. Intercede for those who have made it their life goal to see the gospel penetrate every nation and every society. May God richly bless you as you are obedient to His call.
*Points taken from Prison Epistles by Dr. LeRoy Bartel
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