Colossians 1:9-14 “Paul’s Prayer for the Colossians”
“Paul’s Prayer for the Colossians” is a sermon preached from Colossians 1:9-14, by Michael Beatty, pastor of Covenant Baptist Church in New Berlin, Wisconsin – a confessional Reformed Baptist church subscribing to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith.
Introduction: Reading and Prayer
Turn to Colossians this morning. We’re going to look at verses 9 to 14 here.
Now, the reading of God’s Word:
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing 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 qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
As far for the reading of God’s Word. Let us ask his blessing upon it.
Lord, we come before you once more and ask that you would be pleased to cause us to have ears to hear and hearts to believe, that we might receive all that you have for us in your Word this morning. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
If you recall in Luke chapter 18, Jesus tells a parable about praying. He tells the story about a widow who comes and bothers a judge. I’d like to look there just by way of reminder.
She comes to this judge who, at this time, is not one who fears God. He does not love his neighbor as himself. In other words, he is a wicked judge. He is not someone that you’d want to go to. Yet the widow comes and keeps coming to him over and over again, saying, “Provide me with legal protection from someone who is trying to persecute me.” She doesn’t give up. She keeps coming to him repeatedly.
At first, he is unwilling, but as she continues to come to him, she eventually wears him down, and he is willing to do what he previously was unwilling to do. Jesus records that he says to himself,
“Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection. Otherwise, by continually coming, she will wear me out.”
Even this unrighteous judge ultimately hears the request that the widow makes over and over again. Jesus immediately turns from saying that if this wicked judge will provide relief for someone who comes to him and asks, even though he doesn’t fear the Lord and doesn’t care about his neighbor – he simply wants the request to be fulfilled – how much more so will our loving heavenly Father, who cares for us for the sake of his Son, receive our prayer and hear our petitions?
God’s Readiness to Hear Our Prayer
One, because he is one who loves us. He is our Father. But also because he cares for the sort of protection that would be found under the law. Even in this, God will bring about justice for those who cry to him, and he will not long delay. Even when he comes, he will bring it to pass in the fullest sense.
I want to remind us of this as we look to what Paul says in Colossians chapter 1. We hear the prayer, and we’ve probably read through Colossians a number of times—or perhaps not a lot—but we sort of just assume that, of course, this is just a prayer, and it’s easy to gloss over it. Yet the Scriptures are full of occasions where we see that the Lord promises to hear the prayer of his people and to actually answer them. That we would actually believe that as we pray these things, not only will the Lord hear our prayer, but he will actually provide abundantly more than we can even request.
Paul’s Prayer for the Colossians
As we see these things, we know with whom we are crying out to, that we are doing so because we know to whom we are praying. We heard last week in Colossians chapter 1, in the first eight verses, an emphasis on the word of the gospel that went forth with power and continues to be effective even in this chapter, in verses 9 to 14. Paul is praying for them because of what the Word had accomplished already.
We’ll see in this series of verses that Paul requests God’s blessing on the Colossians so that they would walk in a manner worthy of their calling as those delivered and redeemed.
Outline of the Sermon
If you’re taking notes this morning, I just have two points:
- Request (verse 9)
- Result (verses 10 to 14)
So, request and result.
Paul’s Request: Prayer for Maturity
We see in verse 9 Paul requesting the Lord’s favor upon the Colossians:
From the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you.
He is crying out for the Colossians, even though he has never met them. He is praying that the Lord would provide them with what they need.
Specifically, he is praying for a variety of things, but the first is that they might be brought to maturity:
That you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
The first thing Paul knows the Colossians require is that they need to be brought to maturity. We know that as we age and get older, we should be brought to maturity. No one ever wants to remain a small child. Even children will be excited to tell you the half-year that they are because they want to get to maturity. Age isn’t necessarily maturity, but we want to get to maturity in Christ. We don’t want to be babies forever as it relates to being found in Christ.
The Need for Spiritual Wisdom and Understanding
Paul is praying for them, even though he hasn’t met them. He wants them to have an understanding of what they must do because they require knowledge of God’s will. That’s the first thing they need.
The knowledge they are looking for is not something we can gain simply by having a large library. You could have enough books to fill a room, read all of them, and take notes – and as many of you know, I like books; books are great and helpful – but that is not the knowledge we are speaking of here specifically.
Ultimately, what we are looking for is knowledge that is spiritual. That’s why it is called spiritual wisdom and understanding. It requires prayer. It is not something we can simply try really hard to gain on our own. It requires us to ask the Lord for his favor, that he would grant it by his Spirit, so that we might be grown up into Christ.
Applying Spiritual Knowledge with Wisdom
After knowing God’s will, they need help in applying it. Perhaps you remember junior high, when you learned a variety of rules and became really obnoxious with all the rules, thinking you understood exactly where everything was supposed to go. You could be a great joy to be around… but you lacked maturity. You lacked wisdom in knowing how to apply what you learned. Sometimes those rules don’t apply in the exact same way in every situation because there’s a time for them and a time when they do not apply.
That’s what’s required here for us as well. Hearing all the various commands found in the Scriptures, we need to know how to apply them to our specific set of circumstances at specific times. That’s something we need wisdom for. Paul is praying for them that they might not only know what it is they are to do but also how to do it, when to do it, where to do it, with whom, and so on. That’s something we all need.
In other words, he’s praying that the Colossians could live skillfully as Christians. Think about a new skill you learn. Over time, you perfect it. You learn the rules and then learn where the rules do not necessarily apply fully, or where you need to adapt to bring them to their best end. Wisdom is like a skill.
Wisdom as a Spiritual Skill
The Bible often speaks of wisdom almost like a skill – an understanding that equips us to live rightly. There’s a skill related to it as well. So Paul is asking that they might not only know what the Lord requires but also how to do it, how to live in a skillful manner.
In short, these brethren need sufficient knowledge and skill to live in the present age in the place where they have been called. That is what we need as well: to know how the Lord would have us walk here, at this moment, in our specific set of circumstances. That is only something he can give.
For each one of us, there are general commands – we heard in the reading of the law that none of us should steal or murder – but there are specific ways these apply in each of our circumstances. We need to know how to do that. How can we best do that, especially in times when we are asked to do something difficult to figure out? Much of life is grey, and we need wisdom to navigate it. Paul is praying for them, asking that they might have that skill.
Spiritual Wisdom as a Gift
Finally, we see that spiritual wisdom is not just something acquired over time, though it can grow over time. It is also something given by the Spirit. It is a gift of God, not merely a byproduct of longevity.
It is a sad thing to consider, but it is possible for someone to live many years and yet still be an infant in Christ. We might think of someone who has seen many summers yet still lives as though he is sixteen – immature. It is not something simply gained by age or by being in Christ a certain number of years. It is ultimately given by God, so we must ask him. That is why Paul is praying for them. He has heard that the Word of the gospel has come to them and they have believed by God’s grace. Now, what do they need? To be brought further into conformity to the Son.
Spiritual Wisdom Equips for Kingdom Participation
This spiritual wisdom Paul is asking for equips them – equips all of us – for participation in the kingdom of God. That’s what he’s praying for: that they might be brought to maturity.
If you recall, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding are frequently grouped together in the Old Testament, such as in Exodus 31 and Exodus 35.
Old Testament Background: Exodus 31
In Exodus 31, God describes a sort of spiritual life that the Colossians are participating in, and that we do as well. He is going to build on the concept that we are a nation of priests to our God, a spiritual people being built up in Christ. The type of knowledge being spoken of here is the knowledge to live in light of that, to actually execute it. The threefold wording Paul uses in Colossians echoes that from Exodus 31.
In Exodus 31:1-11, God says,
I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability, intelligence, with knowledge, and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze.
The Lord gave a spiritual knowledge to build what was needed for worship in the tabernacle. They were working in normal materials, but the Lord used spiritual knowledge to build up his people and provide for worship.
Application to Colossians
By corollary, in Colossians, Paul is praying that God would provide his people with similar gifts, but with an important difference: they are spiritual, not material. No longer are we working in gold or linen, but with spiritual realities.
Old Testament Background: 1 Chronicles 28
Another example is in 1 Chronicles 28:21:
Behold, the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God, and with you in all the work will be every willing man who has skill for any kind of service.
That word for skill is more like “understanding,” the same word used in Colossians. It is knowledge for use in the temple, and it is the priests who are given these things.
Every Christian Equipped as a Priest
In brief, God granted specific knowledge and wisdom to select people for service in the tabernacle and temple. But in Colossians, what Paul is praying for goes far beyond anything under the Mosaic covenant. He is praying for them to have the specific wisdom, knowledge, and skill needed to be priests in the worship of God under the new covenant.
Every Christian is blessed with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding for service. We are told elsewhere that we are a nation of priests (1 Peter 2:9-10). Paul prays that we would be all the more equipped for that service.
Spiritual Work as Priests
What is that service? Spiritual work in the true temple, Mount Zion, where we gather by the Spirit. Every Christian is equipped for this work. There are different tasks – elders, deacons, various gifted brothers – but every Christian has the tools to operate under this new covenant administration as a nation of priests.
Under the old covenant, only a small percentage of people had those giftings. But Paul is saying that for all of us, he is asking that we might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding because we are doing spiritual work.
The Ordinary Way Christians Grow
In summary, the ordinary way Christians grow is through the Spirit, often by means of prayer. If we are seeking to cry out to the Lord for one another, we simply follow what Paul is saying. Because we have heard what the Word of God has accomplished in the gospel, that Christ has done for us and by his Spirit caused us to partake in, we should immediately pray for one another, asking him to complete the good work he began in his children.
Praying for Ourselves and Others
There are two applications here. It is appropriate to pray for yourself, to ask the Lord, “Please grow me in understanding, knowledge of your will, and skill so that I might accomplish A, B, C, and D to your glory and my good.”
And it is appropriate to pray for others. Paul is doing that. Timothy is doing it with him. Notice,
From the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you.
Timothy is not an apostle. He is a brother doing good work, but he is just a Christian like us. He is praying for his brethren. It is appropriate for us to do the same. We should pray for one another. We pray every week, but we should pray, asking the Lord to bring these things to pass because we believe he is capable and willing to do so, and that he works through prayer.
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Remember also the parable of the two men who went up to the temple to pray in Luke 18. One was a Pharisee with good social standing who kept the law and even added fences around it to avoid breaking it. He looked like a fine, upstanding gentleman. The other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee prayed,
“God, I thank you that I am not like other people – swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I pay tithes of all that I get.”
He justified himself.
But the tax collector, standing far away, was unwilling even to lift his eyes to heaven. He beat his breast, saying,
“God, be merciful to me, the sinner.”
Jesus said,
“I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Praying with Humility for Maturity
When we pray this prayer for wisdom and understanding, we need to pray it for ourselves. Not simply saying, “Brother so-and-so would be so much better served if he were just a little more mature,” without looking at ourselves and seeing our own shortcomings. Of course, we pray that the Lord provides everything for our brothers and sisters, but we also confess our sin, looking unto those around us, fervently praying on their behalf.
Whenever we seek to accomplish what God has set before us, we should do so out of love for him rather than a desire to justify ourselves.
Result of Paul’s Prayer: Walking Worthy
That is the request Paul made on behalf of the Colossians – for skill and maturity so that they might be brought to the full end God has intended for them. There is much there for us to consider.
The result of Paul’s prayer is laid out in four key ways, showing how they might walk in a manner worthy of the Lord:
- Bearing fruit in every good work (v.10)
- Increasing in knowledge of God (v.10)
- Being strengthened with all power for endurance and patience (v.11)
- Giving thanks to the Father (vv.12–14)
Bearing Fruit in Every Good Work
The first way to please the Lord is bearing fruit. Verse 10 says,
So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work.
This uses an agrarian example describing the Christian life: like being a tree that bears fruit. If you have a fruit tree, you want it to bear fruit – and ideally the kind of fruit it is supposed to bear. If you had an apple tree that started bearing oranges, you would be disappointed. You want it to bear apples.
Bearing fruit is appropriate for those engrafted into Christ. In John 15, Jesus says he is the true vine. Every branch in him that does not bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes so that it might bear more fruit. The mark of the Christian life is bearing fruit. Even when the branch bears good fruit, God comes and prunes it all the more so it might bear increasing fruit.
The Necessity of Abiding in Christ
Lest we puff ourselves up, remember what Jesus said in John 15:
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
The reason Paul is praying for the Colossians – that they might have knowledge and live skillfully, bearing much fruit – is because it is something only Christ can accomplish through us. When we pray, we are asking Christ to do what he has promised to do: to cause us to bear ever-increasing fruit because of what he has done.
Bearing Fruit in Every Area of Life
Bearing fruit is to be in every good work. The Christian life is not about being a specialist in one narrow area but a generalist, bearing fruit in all areas. You cannot say, “I bear fruit in this one area, so I don’t need to worry about everything else.” Christ owns all of us, not just part. He has planted his flag in the totality of our life. We are his slaves, and walking in a manner worthy of the Lord involves our entire life.
Therefore, we have much to confess and much to pray for, asking the Lord to do these things in us. Because he has caused us to hear the Word of his Son and made us alive in Christ, we want to walk in a way that is worthy of him.
Baptism and Bearing Fruit
Remember your baptism. We were baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, raised in newness of life, bearing testimony that we are Christians. We walk accordingly, loving our neighbor and loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength because of what he has done for us.
Gifted for Particular Works, Yet Bearing Fruit in All
This does not mean we do not have particular areas where we are especially gifted or suited. Some might find particular joy and ease in quiet acts of mercy, like bringing meals to others, clothing those who need clothing, or visiting the stranger. We should all do such things, but some may find themselves particularly inclined to certain works. That is good. However, we are called to bear fruit in every good work, growing in maturity in all areas of life because Christ is Lord over every area.
Increasing in the Knowledge of God
The second way to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord is to increase in the knowledge of God. Verse 10 continues:
And increasing in the knowledge of God.
The Colossians required true knowledge of God. That is not controversial. But we have a problem: we cannot come to know God in the same way we come to know created things. For example, if you want to know Milwaukee, you can drive around town, look at maps, talk with people, and see its culture. You can gain a great understanding that way. But you cannot do that with God. You cannot visit heaven, and you cannot talk to him in the same way you talk to a friend. Furthermore, as chapter seven of our confession says, he is so unlike us and so far above us that he must condescend to cause us to know him.
Knowledge Given by God
Therefore, the knowledge Paul is speaking of here is something granted by God. It certainly involves reading the Bible and good books, but even in reading those things, we require the action of God to bring them to their full blessing. It is true knowledge of the Lord, and he gives it in ordinary ways.
Means of Growing in Knowledge
How does he accomplish this? By his Word and Spirit. Paul already told us in verses 5-6:
The word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world, is bearing fruit and increasing – as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.
They heard the Word. The first thing that causes us to know the knowledge of God is the Word. Another means is prayer, as we see in verses 9-10.
In short, it is the means of grace – the ordinary ways God works in his people to bring them into conformity with his Son.
Importance of Gathering on the Lord’s Day
This requires us to gather together on the Lord’s Day to take full effect of these means. We gather on Sunday for Sunday school, the preaching of the Word, and prayer. We should partake in all of that. Why would we say, “I’m just good with one or two of these opportunities”? We believe that God is going to bless us through them. Who does not want to walk in a manner worthy of our calling, increasing in the knowledge of God, and growing in every way he intends for us?
God Works Through Ordinary Means
The Lord typically works through ordinary ways. Could he work extraordinarily in your life? He could, but he typically works through the ordinary means he has appointed. That is why the fourth commandment sets aside the Lord’s Day as a whole day to focus on these things, along with personal piety throughout the week – prayer, Bible reading, fellowship, and so on.
Come Expecting the Lord to Work
When we gather, come expecting the Lord to accomplish what he has promised. He has told us he will. We simply ask him to do so again for us in particular ways.
Steadfastness and Patience
The third result of Paul’s prayer, showing how we walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, is steadfastness and patience. Verse 11 says:
May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.
Endurance Illustrated by Gardening
I’ve attempted growing a garden a number of times. Usually, I make it to sometime in July, and then difficulties arise. Either I forget to water (everything dies), or I water too much, or something else happens. Gardening requires patience. It is not linear. You cannot simply add a certain amount of water and guarantee a certain number of plants. There is much out of your control: the sun, the rain, the bugs. Gardening requires patience and endurance, as does the Christian life.
The Christian Life is Like a Garden
The Lord often speaks of the Christian life as a garden or growing process. It is difficult. It is not linear. Even the smallest things can undermine the whole. Patience and endurance are necessary.
James 1: Trials Produce Steadfastness
James 1:2-4 says,
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Our trials are a source of joy because of what God accomplishes through them. Trials come in different ways, often unexpectedly. Yet it is in those moments that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness. This is what Paul is praying for: that they would walk in a manner pleasing to the Lord by having steadfastness and patience, being made perfect and complete.
James 5: Patience Until the Coming of the Lord
James 5:7-11 says,
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Waiting for Christ’s Return
Patience implies waiting upon the Lord. Christ could return at any moment. Trials may end at any moment, and we know he is near. Verse 9 warns us not to grumble against one another, for the Judge is standing at the door. When Christ returns, patience and steadfastness will no longer be necessary because our faith will be sight.
Enduring Trials with Faith
When Paul prays for the Colossians, asking that they might be strengthened with all power for endurance and patience, he is asking that they would live faithfully even in the midst of trials and difficulties.
We might ask ourselves: what are we willing to suffer for Christ and for the brethren? Are we willing to give up jobs, family, or anything else if called upon? Of course, at the moment of trial, the Lord gives grace sufficient for that particular time. For the Colossians, there was the very real potential outcome of giving up much.
Christ gave himself up even to the point of death, death on a cross, for his brothers. When we hear this prayer for endurance, we are called all the more to seek these things. In times of trial and tribulation, what is our response? It should be to cry out to the Lord and ask him for help.
Praying for Endurance and Patience
We should also cry out on behalf of our brethren when they are under trial and tribulation, knowing that Christ is able and willing to work steadfastness and patience in them. He does this in such a way that they, and we, might live skillfully and be conformed to Christ.
Responding to Trials as Christians
Often when people go through difficult times, they sin against their neighbors and later apologize, saying, “I was going through a hard time.” But for Christians, it should be different. We are called to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord even in trials, asking him to strengthen us with all power so that we endure faithfully.
If we are in trials this morning, let us ask the Lord for wisdom. Know that even in the midst of these difficult circumstances, he is accomplishing something precious in us: the endurance of our faith, bringing us into conformity with Christ. Let us pray that he would do that for us and for all the saints, because he has promised to do so.
Giving Thanks to the Father
The fourth and final result of Paul’s prayer, showing how we walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, is giving thanks. Verses 12 to 14 say:
Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
The Ongoing Need to Give Thanks
Paul concludes his prayer by highlighting thankfulness. The gospel is not just something that was good for the moment of our conversion; it is something that is good for the totality of our life. We continue to give thanks for it, walking in a manner worthy of the Lord because we remember what he has done for us.
Our Inheritance in Christ
We have an inheritance because we have been qualified to share in it. We are co-heirs with Christ. We remember what he has done: he rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. We are no longer under the power of darkness but under Christ, in the kingdom of redemption.
Redemption and Forgiveness
He has forgiven our sins because he redeemed us. Redemption refers to the action by which a close relative buys someone out of slavery. Christ, as our elder brother, redeemed us from darkness. We are now his brethren, co-heirs with him in all things.
Thankfulness Motivates Obedience
When we consider walking in a manner worthy of the Lord, it is not something heavy in comparison to what he has accomplished for us in the gospel. Because of this, we are freed up to bear fruit, grow in knowledge, endure trials, and give thanks. We do these things because of what Christ has done, out of thankfulness for his redemption.
Praying with Thanksgiving
This last point is also appropriate for prayer. All of these points are, but giving thanks is central. When we gather on Sundays, our corporate prayers include thanksgiving. We should pray along with whoever is leading, giving thanks to the Lord for his goodness, believing he uses these prayers for a good outcome: that we might be brought to maturity in Christ and that we might pray rightly for one another.
Knowing One Another for Effective Prayer
As an aside, this requires us to know each other. How else will we know when someone is in a time of trial or what they really need prayer for? We must know one another so that we can pray effectively on their behalf.
Summary: Growing in Christ Through All Circumstances
In summary, the Christian life is growing and conforming to Christ through all the varied circumstances of our experience. Since he gives the growth, let us ask him to provide what he has promised to supply. If the Lord has promised to do this, we simply ask him to supply the growth.
God Causes the Growth
1 Corinthians 3:6-9 says:
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
It is God’s work to grow us, so we must ask him to do it. We cannot do it apart from Christ.
Attend to the Ministry of the Word
We also need to attend to the ministry of the Word. In Colossians 1:9-14 and in 1 Corinthians 3, the growth comes in the context of those who labor in the Word. Where does growth come from? From Christ. How does he ordinarily do it? Through the means of grace, especially the proclamation of the Word.
Attending With Prepared Hearts
Attend to the ministry of the Word with a prepared heart. It is possible to sit under preaching and receive no real benefit if we metaphorically put our hands over our ears. Come having prepared your heart beforehand, paying attention, and asking the Lord by prayer to help you. He promises to work in each of us through his appointed means.
Giving Thanks for Our Place in Christ
Give thanks, because we are now in the kingdom of the beloved Son. Especially this morning, for those who are discouraged, look to Christ as the ground, the way, and the basis of your salvation.
Encouragement for the Discouraged
Remember what Paul reminds us here: we have been delivered from the domain of darkness. We are no longer under its power. We have been delivered and transferred to the kingdom of the beloved Son. We are not free agents floating between kingdoms; we are now in his kingdom as co-heirs with Christ.
Our Works Did Not Accomplish This
Our works played no part in this action. We were in the kingdom of darkness, and the Father did this action. Be encouraged because he brought you in out of his love for you. We were redeemed by our elder brother, and he promises not to lose even one whom the Father has given him.
Nothing Can Separate Us
There is nothing and no one that can separate us from the love we have in Christ. So if you are discouraged this morning, look to him. Ask him for help. Ask him to give you these things, knowing that all your sins are forgiven for his sake and that he has promised to work these things in you.
Boldly Asking God for Grace
We are not coming to someone who has only a limited number of prayers he can answer each day. He can answer all of them richly, and our requests do not in any way lessen his supply of grace. Let us ask boldly, asking him to give to us beyond measure, with the confidence of those found in Christ.
Conclusion: Expect Good Gifts from the Father
In conclusion, let us expect that we will receive good gifts, for the Father has them at his disposal to give to us because he loves us for Jesus’ sake. Remember what James says to encourage us in times of trial and tribulation:
If you lack, ask the Father. He gives freely and without reproach.
He is not like us, who might begrudge or correct. He loves us and gives freely. All we need to do is look by faith to what Christ has done for us.
Let us do so today and give thanks to him.
Closing Prayer
Please pray with me.
Father, we thank you that in your goodness towards us, you have repeatedly told us of what you have done on our behalf. Lord, we understand just a little of what it is you have accomplished for us. We ask that you would grow us in the knowledge of that, that we might experientially understand the grace we have been given in the Son.
We pray, Lord, that you would be pleased to work in each and every person here who is in Christ those fruits which are necessary, that we might walk in a manner worthy of you, Lord, because we want to bring glory to your name and show love to the brethren. We would be pleased, Lord, if you would work these things in us.
We pray that you would help us and cause us to be zealous for those good works you have set before us, that we might walk in them. Lord, we ask again that you would work these things not only in our hearts but in the hearts of our brethren, for your glory and our good.
In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
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