Filled with the Knowledge of His Will
Colossians 1:9–14 – Teach Us to Pray, Part 4
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time – August 23rd, 2026 (am)
We engaged with one of the prayers of Paul last Sunday that literally almost defies all imagining in its content. Remembering Who God is and who we are, Eph.3:14-21 can leave us wildly motivated to pray. But rarely are we doing in prayer what Paul was doing there: seeking God’s help for the Ephesian church to grasp the immensity of His power and love available to them through the mystery of the gospel first revealed at the giving of His Holy Spirit to the church at the Feast of Pentecost just after Jesus’ resurrection. Stirring as that text is, it does have the tendency to leave us feeling like we’re all dressed up but with no place to go—ready to pray, but maybe not real sure how to get started!
I’m reminded of a story of the mayor who was trying to motivate his depressed little town with a vision of something better. He kicked off his idea at City Hall by giving a rousing speech to the city employees. Today is the first day of our courageous pursuit of the future! Today is the day we shift into gear and finally get moving! Today is the day we affirm together with one voice that we will not be defined by all the problems we face in our little town due to lack of resources or infrastructure or vision! Today is the day of new beginnings! Today the starting pistol has fired and we’ll all run together all the way through the finish line of our civic dreams! The city employees cheered wildly as they rushed from the Council Chambers back to their respective offices and cubicles, ready to take on the world! Only then, as they sat down at their desks and re-engaged their computer screens, did they realize that they had no specific plans or instructions on how to do anything differently! So, being responsible workers, they simply returned to the same tasks they were doing before they gathered for the mayor’s speech….
We could feel like that coming out of last week’s service. Today’s text is intended to help us take the next step. It includes some of those grand themes we encountered last week, but here Paul is praying them in earnest for a church he’d never met. So, this is Paul himself taking those grand themes and turning them into particular requests for real people in ways that sound so specific and personal that we can imagine praying them for our closest brothers and sisters in Christ, and wanting them to be prayed for us in return. Let’s look into this text under two headings.
Pondering Paul’s Prayer
Let’s notice two general categories of observation as we move through Paul’s prayer. First, notice that he’s praying for things he just thanked God for in these Colossians; he’s turning points of thankfulness (3-8) into requests (9-14). And second, even though he’s praying specifically for these folk, notice how his requests echo and fold in several of those grand themes we saw in last week’s passage (Eph.3:14-21). He’s praying them here. Let’s stay with this breakdown as we jump into this text.
Prayer Flowing from Thanksgiving
We saw in the longer passage we just read that Paul has already affirmed these faithful brothers [and sisters] (2), saying: 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. But it’s not until v.9 that we see him begin to pray. He opens by asking 9 … that [they] may be filled with the knowledge of [God’s] will…, the same blessing from God that identified his apostleship (1). Now, in this prayer request it plays a similarly foundational role. First, everything else Paul prays here follows on, or flows out of this request. Or we might say that all the other requests are indented under this one. They build on this foundation of knowing God’s will—that which, as we pray it, assures us of answers (1Jo.5:14-15).
Second, look what he says a knowledge of [God’s] will should produce in them, perhaps parallel to his apostleship (1): 9 … all spiritual wisdom and understanding…. That’s a sweet thought, isn’t it? Being 9 … filled with the knowledge of [God’s] will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding means that [God’s will] is making sense to them; they’re vibing with it; they’re tuned-in to His heart and mind such that His ways are increasingly becoming more appealing to them than their own ways. That’s also what it means for us as we pray it, for ourselves or one another, and see God answer. His ways are wise and discerning, desirable, satisfying. So, the desires of our flesh are unmasked before our eyes—we see them as foolish, shortsighted, misdirected, empty. That’s what happens in us when we’re being filled with the knowledge of [God’s] will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding (9). But he’s praying it for people he’s already affirmed for their response to the gospel (5): they 6 … heard it and understood the grace of God in truth. They grasped the heart of God’s grace in truth, its significance. Now (9) it’s like he’s praying that they’ll mature in that understanding, that they’ll experience it all the more. Remember his word to the Thessalonians? 1Th.4:1 … [W]e ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. Paul is teaching similarly here.
Third, this knowledge of [God’s] will enables them 10 … to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: which means bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. But he’s already expressed thanksgiving for their living in ways that truly please the Lord: their evident faith in Christ Jesus and their love for all the saints (4) because of the hope laid up for [them] in heaven (5). But then he draws again from v.6 where he said the gospel (5) is bearing fruit and increasing everywhere (6). So, now he’s praying it’ll also bear fruit and increase in them (10).
This is a good pattern to note regarding how we pray for one another, beyond just lifting requests for the latest health or travel need. Our eye is drawn to the good God is doing in one another’s lives, then we pray for an increase in that good, for growth in that good, fuller experience of that good in the face of all the circumstances of life—the challenges, trials, set-backs, even illnesses—that war against it. And we do this recognizing that there’s really no way ever to plumb the depths of God’s storehouse of good. There’ll always be more!
Prayer Echoing the Grand Themes
Now we’re moving into that second category that reminds us of the grand themes. We’ve already seen a bit of that in grandiose language like filled with a knowledge of his will (9) or all spiritual wisdom and understanding (9) or even walk in a manner worthy of the Lord (10; cf. Eph.4:1). But we see it quite clearly in v.11 where the knowledge of his will results in our 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy. Paul is acknowledging in prayer that we are, even as he’s requesting in prayer we will be, strengthened by nothing less than the power of God—all power, according to his glorious might, like last week was according the riches of his glory (Eph.3:16)—to endure the trials and temptations of this life, the brokenness of this world and the maddeningly strong grip it can have on us, deadening our discernment of God’s ways, hardening our hearts toward Him (Heb.3:12-13), shifting our sights to infinitely lesser things. But this strengthening doesn’t just produce raw endurance—grinding and gritted-teeth endurance—but endurance and patience with joy. Who among us wouldn’t want to see these qualities develop within us? And who among us wouldn’t delight to pray this for those we know and love? But we’ll get to that in a moment.
First, let’s just see how Paul finishes here. He wants the power of [God’s] glorious might to be so at work in them, in us, that, through it all, like him, we will also be 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified [us] to share in the inheritance of the saints in light, to share in all the glories of life in heaven with God, since 13 [the Father] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son (light [13]), 14 in whom we have redemption, we’re purchased by Him at high cost, and the forgiveness of sins; we’re cleansed from everything that would keep us from fitting in, belonging, to the kingdom of light, the kingdom of his beloved Son. Wouldn’t you love for someone to be praying like this for you? And don’t you believe you could/should be praying like this for others?
Praying Paul’s Prayer
So, let’s just take a few more moments and think about how we might do just that. Let’s identify some things here that get us started praying the way Paul prays here, so we’re not like those city hall employees we met earlier.
First, let’s make clear note that healthy prayer is marked by thanksgiving. We can never forget Who we’re talking to, and that He is always, in every circumstance, worthy of our thanks. Thanksgiving marks healthy prayer. It fuels worship. It sweetens confession. And it flows forth into requests that find their origins in the Person and work of God more than in the struggles and dissatisfaction of our hearts and minds or the sickness and dysfunction of our bodies and souls. It’s so important to get into an appropriately prayerful mindset before we begin making requests of God in prayer, lest we hinder ourselves in the prayer process, lest we get in our own way, forgetting Who we’re talking to and all He’s done for us. We try to do this each week at Lessons and Prayer, get into a prayerful mindset.
Do you remember James’ teaching? Jam.1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, a very common need sensed in prayer, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. God’s children coming to Him from a place of doubt displeases Him. That doesn’t mean He’ll ignore their prayers. But, just as with our own children, if He can see that we’re in a bad place when we’re talking to Him, and especially when we’re asking for something, He may ignore our request initially, just in order to get us into a better mindset and heart attitude. Our struggle introduces a detour into our conversation with Him, just as it should. But then, as we respond well, He delights to answer our request. Indeed: Rom.8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? But, first things first. Bottom line, healthy prayer is marked by thanksgiving. So are healthy requests.
Second, make clear note that Paul is praying for them much like Jesus prayed for Peter when Satan demanded to have [him], that he might sift [him] like wheat (Luk.22:31). Paul is praying for them to [be] strengthened with the power [of God’s] glorious might for all endurance and patience with joy, essentially so that they’ll not fail to hold on to that hope laid up for [them] in heaven (5) until it’s fully realized, and so that life in this world won’t be able to steal their joy along the way. He’s not straight-up praying warfare prayers here, but he’s surely praying in that category and using that language, that imagery. He’s reminding them in prayer, and so he’s reminding all who have hope laid up for [us] in heaven (5), that we’ve been qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints in light (12); that we’ve been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of his beloved Son (13); that we’ve been redeemed and forgiven of our sins (14).
And what is the intended outcome—not just in us who are praying but now in the ones we’re praying for? It’s not just so that we’ll all be strengthened in our experience of the glorious salvation and protection we receive from God—even though it surely includes that—but it’s also so that we ourselves will be led into giving thanks to the Father (12) for it! Healthy prayer is saturated in thanksgiving from motivation to expression to outcome. It begins, advances, and culminates in thanksgiving, just as Paul models here (cf. 3, 12). If you’re ever not sure what to do in prayer, just start giving thanks!
Finally, a big part of walking in a manner worthy of the Lord (10) is praying in a manner worthy of [Him]—remembering Who we’re talking to when we pray. It also means remembering who we are when we pray, and what world we live in, and how sin-compromised we and everything around us are. Wanting what God wants is no small part of what we need to learn in prayer. We need to pray requests that are worthy of Him. We need to let Him identify what’s important and needed and desirable. Yes, we need to pour out our [requests to] him (Psa.62:8). But our requests continually need to be sanctified through the course of our lives just like the rest of our walk with Him is being sanctified. We need to grow in prayer. We need to grow up in prayer. We need mature in prayer such that, increasingly, as here, we want what God wants. We pray what God wants. We enjoy what God wants. We’re reshaped—our lives, affections, pursuits, desires—according to Who God is and what He’s done in our lives. We need to enter in to the patient joy of all spiritual wisdom and understanding. There’s no sweeter place to live! And prayer according to the will of God, within the community of the people of God, is the route we travel to arrive at that destination.
Conclusion
This is helpful, practical instruction. If you’re not sure how to pray for someone, this text is a good place to start. If you feel like you’re always praying the same things for someone, particularly for those who face some form of chronic need, this is a good way to break out of that old pattern.
Memorize this passage. We could pray any one of these requests for anyone for whom we pray—anything from the list that we’re reminded of as we consider their needs, or our own. Or we could pray the whole list for them. Or we could use any one of these requests as a springboard into related requests, like we did with spiritual warfare from v.13.
This is just one of Paul’s prayers. And there are many more, from him and numerous others, included in the pages of God’s Word. Consulting them, studying them, imitating them, is where we best will learn to pray.
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Resources
Arnold, Clinton E., gen. ed. 2002. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary. Vol. 3, Romans-Philemon. Colossians, by Clinton E. Arnold, 370-401. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Beale, G. K., & D. A. Carson, eds. 2007. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Colossians, by G. K. Beale, 841-870. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Bruce, F. F., Gordon D. Fee, & Ned B. Stonehouse., gen. eds. 1984. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians, by F. F. Bruce. Colossians, 1-187. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Calvin, John. 2010. Commentary on the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, trans, by John Pringle. Colossians, 136-232. Logos.
Carson, D. A., R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham, eds. 1994. New Bible Commentary 21st Century Edition. Colossians, by Peter T. O’Brien, 1260-1276. Leicester, Eng.: InterVarsity.
. 2014. Praying with Paul: A Call to Spiritual Reformation, Second Edition. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Dever, Mark. 2005. The Message of the New Testament. Ch. 12, The Message of Colossians: New Life, 279-299. Wheaton: Crossway.
Dockery, David S, ed. 1991. New American Commentary. Vol. 32, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, by Richard R. Melick. Colossians, 160-333. Nashville: Broadman & Holman.
Gasque, W. Ward, NT ed. 1993, second printing. New International Biblical Commentary. Vol. 10. Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, by Arthur G. Patzia. Colossians, 1-102. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.
Grudem, Wayne, ed. 2008. ESV Study Bible. Study Notes on Colossians, by Clinton E. Arnold. Wheaton: Crossway.
Hubbard, David A., & Glenn W. Barker. 1982. Word Biblical Commentary. Vol. 44, Colossians, Philemon, by Peter T. O’Brien. Colossians, 1-261. Dallas: Word.
Longman III, Tremper, & David E. Garland, eds. 2006. Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Revised Edition. Vol. 12, Ephesians-Philemon. Colossians, by Todd D. Still, 263-360. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Morris, Leon, ed. 1986. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Vol. 12, Colossians and Philemon, by N.T. Wright. Downers Grove: InterVarsity.
Moule, H. C. G. 1977. Studies in Colossians & Philemon. Colossians, 11-145. Grand Rapids: Kregel.
NEXT SUNDAY: Teach Us to Pray, Part 5, Pray Without Ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 5:17