We Have Not Ceased to Pray | Morning Routine Daily Devotional for January 27

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. — Colossians 1:9-12 ESV

The letter to the Colossian church was written by the apostle Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome. He writes to them, though he has never been to their church in Colossae. Throughout Paul’s travels recorded in the book of Acts, he never goes to Colossae. Earlier in chapter 1, he says that the gospel was delivered to them by a man named Epaphras, indicating that Paul wasn’t the one who first shared the gospel with them (1:6-8). Even so, Paul has not ceased praying for these believers from day one!

Today’s passage contains the content of Paul’s prayer for the Colossians. He says that he and his coworkers “have not ceased to pray for [them],” praying that these Christians “be filled with the knowledge of [God’s] will…so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.” He asks the Lord to grow them in their faith, “bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” and that they would “give thanks to the Father.” 

This is a rich prayer from the apostle Paul. It is certainly a prayer we can model our own prayer requests around, asking the Lord to fill us with the knowledge of His will, to bear fruit, and so on. And what makes Paul’s prayer remarkable is that he was praying unceasingly for these believers he had never met! We should take heed to his example and pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ, even for those who we don’t necessarily know. Parents, pray for your child’s classmates. Educators, pray for the teachers and students in neighboring schools. Pray that Christians across the globe would be strengthened by the Holy Spirit to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, and according to the will of God. 

This really is God’s plan for us.  You do know that He has a plan for us.  It is for our eternal good.  Nothing can change it.  Christ is still on the throne.  All is well!