“I ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all

spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a matter worthy of the Lord, 

fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge

of God. May you be 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. He has delivered us from the domain of

darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of his beloved son, in whom we have

redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Colossians 1:9-14

Okay, these are five large verses to digest. But once you chew on them even a little, be ready to be enlightened on the gigantic scale of LOVE our great God shows you. So Paul, an apostle, is writing to the church in Colossae. The verses prior to this chunk is more encouragement and thanks for the church. This part comes in hot – if you know what a mean. Paul wants the church (where I will now refer to the people as us) to be filled. I think this is important in two ways: 1) he wants us to be more than just a little satisfied, but complete and 2) to become pleasing to the Lord as the other part of the sentence explains.

I bolded all the references to God, to show that in this whole prayer for the church, they are NOT the focus. May we be strengthened…according to HIS might (not ours)…and He has qualified us (we do NOT qualify in any sense). He has delivered us from darkness and transferred us to life. That’s big news. I am setback by the humbleness of Paul as he prays for others in the ways they need it, but also the ways God wants it.

I want that. I want to pray prayers like THIS for people more consistently.

A.W. Tozer hits the chords hard, “Every man is as close to God as he wants to be.”

I desire closeness, intimacy, and passion for the Lord. And the not-so-secret secret is that all this has nothing to do with me, but Him. What a great thing!

mmmhmm.

[originally posted 1.20.2012]