A prayer for spiritual wisdom and understanding – Colossians 1:9-14, Part 2

Have you ever been so confused and so frustrated about a situation in life, that you had no idea what to do? Most of us have been there. It could be that you are getting near the end of high school, and you really don’t know what you want to do with your life. Should you take a gap year? Should you go to college? College sounds fun, and many of your friends are going. But how do they have so much confidence in their choice? What major should you pick? (What career do you want to pursue?) What if you get a year into your major, and you decide you don’t like it? And furthermore, what if you choose a college based on their reputation for educating people in your major, and you change majors? Or maybe there are five colleges and universities that all seem equally appealing to you, and you just don’t know how to narrow it down and pick one?

Then there are relationships. Who should you date? Who should marry? Who should you go into business with? Once you’re married, should you have kids? When should you have kids? And how many? Should you wait till you’re settled enough to purchase a home? How long should you rent? Where should you live? What kind of school district are you looking for? What kind of church?

The list of choices in life goes on and on, and whether big or small choices, decisions in life can be intimidating. Have you ever thought, “I wish I could sit down and talk with Jesus and just have him tell me what to do”? Maybe you’re experiencing some of that right now. If so, I encourage you to start praying the prayer in Colossians 1:9.

There Paul prays the Christians in the town of Colosse would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Now that is a powerful prayer! We’ve been studying the letter to the Colossians, and this week we are looking at Colossians 1:9-14, starting here.

Last week I suggested that you might create a list of people that you pray for on a consistent basis. When you pray for those people, what should you pray for them? I would recommend that you pray what Paul prayed for the Colossian Christians, that they would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

But maybe you’re like me, and you’re thinking, “I not only want to pray that prayer for the people in my life, I want that for myself!” I want to know God’s will. And I want to know it like Paul describes it: in ALL spiritual wisdom and understanding. That is a deep knowledge, isn’t it? What does he mean, thought, “knowing God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding”?

What Paul is referring to is a deep relational knowledge. He envisions a person who has a close personal relationship with God, and it is from that relationship that spiritual wisdom and understanding flows.

Paul is not talking about someone with a photographic memory who can crush in Bible trivia.

Paul is not talking about someone who has read the Bible cover-to-cover, or who reads lots of books about the Bible, Christianity and spirituality.

Paul is not talking about a person who has put in a lot of time attending worship services, Sunday School, small group and watching TV preachers.

Through those things a person can get to know about God, which is a good thing. But that is not what Paul prays for the Colossian Christians, in his desire for them to know the will of God.

Paul is describing wisdom and understanding that flows forth from someone who actually knows God. If we want to know God’s will, yes, we can learn it in Scripture. But Paul is referring to a knowledge, a spiritual wisdom and understanding that comes from a close relationship with God himself!

Check in to the next post, as Paul will continue his flow of thought, because you might be wondering, “How do I start or grow that kind of close relationship with God?”