We begin Colossians today in our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan and I want to share verses 9-14. We use these verses to pray the Word over loved ones in the same way that we pray the prayers that Paul shared in Ephesians 1 and 3!
9 For
this reason we also, from the day we heard of it, have not ceased to pray and make [special] request for you,
[asking] that you may be filled with the [full (deep and clear) knowledge
of His will in all spiritual wisdom [in comprehensive insight into the ways and
purposes of God] and in understanding and discernment
of spiritual things— 10 That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy
of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all
things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with
fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition]. 11 [We
pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened
with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of
endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy, 12 Giving
thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made
us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God’s
holy people) in the Light. 13 [The Father] has delivered and drawn
us to Himself out of the control and the
dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of
His love, 14 In Whom we have our redemption through
His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins.
The very best way to pray for others is to pray in the Spirit, by Holy Spirit Who lives IN us and knows ALL! The next best prayer is to pray as Holy Spirit leads in your known language when He gives you something specific to pray. The next very best prayer is to pray the WORD over them! These prayers in Ephesians and Colossians do just that! POWERFULLY! I want to note that in verse 14 (above) the translators say that 'redemption' means the forgiveness of sin. That is NOT the clearest picture! What redemption ACTUALLY means is the REMISSION of sins! Our sin was NOT simply forgiven! It was completely wiped away by the Blood of JESUS!! AMEN! It IS no more! Now AFTER the New Birth, WHEN we sin, we must use 1 John 1:9 to continually receive the continually provided forgiveness AND cleansing! AMEN! Here is Colossians 9-14 from The Passion Translation!
9 Since we first heard about you, we’ve kept you always in our
prayers that you would receive the perfect knowledge of God’s pleasure over
your lives, making you reservoirs of every kind of wisdom and spiritual
understanding. 10 We pray
that you would walk in the ways of true righteousness, pleasing God in every
good thing you do. Then you’ll become fruit-bearing branches, yielding to his
life, and maturing in the rich experience of knowing God in his fullness! 11 And we pray that you would be energized with all his explosive
power from the realm of his magnificent glory, filling you with great hope. 12 Your hearts can soar with joyful
gratitude when you think of how God made you worthy to receive the glorious
inheritance freely given to us by living in the light. 13 He has rescued us completely from the tyrannical rule of
darkness and has translated us into the kingdom realm of his beloved Son. 14 For in the Son all our sins are canceled and we have the release
of redemption through his very blood.
AMEN!!! AS you study and meditate in the Word every day, make sure that you are checking out other translations and comparing them. Holy Spirit is completely faithful to show us what is correct and what is not! TRUST HIM and DIG IN! Amen! Here is Hillsong with "Your Word":
Shalom in Him!
