PRAYING WITH CONFIDENCE

This post by kathylarkman was originally published at GRACE PLACE

I was on National Express coach coming home from Heathrow Airport after being in Germany as Esther King was leading our second women’s bible study- Colossians: Rooted. Although I missed being there, you were in my thoughts and prayers.

I received many reports of the love and blessing of God through His word! I am encouraged how God is maturing us as He reveals Himself to us through Scripture.

Paul prays over the Colossians with confidence because they ARE bearing fruit; not because they need to bear fruit. There are many times when I don’t know how to pray for us, especially with confidence,  but I am learning that a good place to start is Scripture. It seems so obvious, but after being a Christian for years, I have realized its importance and power.

This prayer in Colossians 1 is one wonderful example of many in the Bible which teaches us how we should pray for one another as believers in Christ and with confidence. His continual prayer has been full of requests that they might be filled with the knowledge of God’s will. (v.9) This is not just a prayer about guidance in specific situations of life, but actually it’s bigger than that. It’s about grasping the big picture of how central Jesus Christ is in God’s plan for the world- to put everything under Jesus Christ.

The result of the knowledge of Christ is a changed life!(v.10) Knowing Christ always brings practical changes to how we live. The changed life is described as: a worthy life, pleasing Christ, bearing fruit and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Notice it is God who is the one doing everything in this prayer. He has ‘enabled us,’ ‘rescued us ’ and ‘transferred us,’ ‘purchased us,’ forgave us.’vv (12-14) It is all God’s work through Jesus Christ! (vv.13-14)

So, if we want to see our lives changed, we need to keep asking God to show us how important Jesus Christ is! As we get a better grasp of WHO HE IS, changes will inevitably result in our everyday, ordinary lives.

Let’s pray for each other with confidence! May we all grow as we learn to know God better and better!

Kathy x