Praying
for Growth: Colossians 1:9-14
Paul
hadn’t met the Colossians, but he had heard about their conversion through
Epaphras (1:6-8). As a result he begins his letter by giving thanks for their
conversion (1:3-5) and he then prays for them (1:9-14).
Verse 9
1.
What ‘reason’ does Paul have in mind in v9? Who does this make this
prayer suitable for?
2.
Paul begins by asking that the Colossian Christians will be filled with
the knowledge of God’s will. What does this mean and how does he say it will
happen?
Verses 10-12
3.
From verse 10, why is Paul praying what he does in v9? Does this aim
feature in our prayers for others and ourselves?
4.
The rest of v10 and verses 11-12 give us the components of living a
life worthy of the Lord. Go through them asking what each of them means.
5.
Give some examples of what praying these things would mean in practice
(perhaps for members of the group or for other people in the church).
Verse 13-14
6.
Why does Paul mention rescue and redemption here? How does this fit
with the rest of the prayer?
7.
How should this focus on the gospel feature in our praying?
Reflection
8.
Do we think of this sort of prayer as a bit ‘basic’ sometimes?
9.
What can we learn from this prayer to change our own prayer life?
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