How to Develop New Vitality in Living: Part One

Colossians 1: 9 – 11

Jesus prayed for you. John recorded Jesus’ prayer in the 14th chapter of his gospel.  If He prayed for us, we should pray for one another.  What should we pray for one another? Paul prayed what might be considered a model prayer for one another. In writing this I first prayed a prayer like this for all my Facebook Friends also. 

This prayer embodies two great requests which we should frequently make of the Lord.

(1) For an understanding of God’s will.  (2) For the power to do it.

Prayer is not so much trying to make God listen to us as it is us trying to listen to Him.  A ship docking illustrates this. The mooring rope is thrown over the docking post on the wharf not to draw the wharf to the ship but to draw the ship to the dock.  Prayer is not to convert God to our will, but to draw us to His will. After all, Christ taught us to pray: “Thy will be done…” not “Thy will be changed…”

Paul prayed for God’s will to be revealed. (Vs 9)

His will is revealed in His Word.  Knowledge is God’s will for our general moral conduct.  Right knowledge is the root of right conduct. Spiritual perception of spiritual values and priorities is basic to a Christ pleasing life.

Wisdom, as used, is a knowledge of the best way of attaining God’s will.

(Socrates and youth who professed to want knowledge: Socrates held his head under water until he nearly drowned.  Then he said, “When you want wisdom as bad as you do air then you shall have it.”)

Understanding is the ability to apply first principles. It is the conversion of comprehension into conduct. A coach may instruct a player in exactly what to do. The player may comprehend, but only in play does he convert comprehension into conduct).

Knowing God’s will comes first. The power to do it is next. (Vss. 10-11a)

Our “walk” (peripateo) means “to conduct oneself.” It is a summary for lifestyle. Let your lifestyle be “worthy” (axios). When used with a genitive as it is here, it means “having the weight of another thing.”  The picture is of a set of balancing scales. Christ is the counterbalance against which your life is to be measured.  If you do this, you will be “fully pleasing to Him.”To do this you must be “strengthened” (dunamoo). This is inherent power to do, to make strong.  To accomplish this He gives “power” (kratos), the manifested power of His glory.

You have certain inherent strength which is motivated by His manifested power.

Therefore, don’t just hope for the best and think the worst.  Prepare your mind to receive.  Your thoughts are the architects of your deeds.  God Himself wants to be the builder.