A New Year's Prayer

Col 1:9-12

 

by Samuel E. Ward

 

January 2, 2011

 

 

Introduction

         

• "He who breaks a resolution is a weakling; He who makes one is a fool." ~F.M. Knowles
• "May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions." ~Joey Adams
• "Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account." ~Oscar Wilde
• "Never tell your resolution beforehand, or it's twice as onerous a duty." ~John Selden
• "Now there are more overweight people in America than average-weight people. So overweight people are now average… which means, you have met your New Year's resolution." ~Jay Leno
• "New Year's Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time." ~James Agate
• "Many years ago I resolved never to bother with New Year's resolutions, and I've stuck with it ever since." ~Dave Beard

Read more at Suite101: Humorous New Year Quotes, Words & Sayings

http://www.suite101.com/content/humorous-new-year-quotes-words--sayings-a319233#ixzz19e0DCHch

 

( Psa 37:4 NIV)  Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 

There are some amazing prayers in the Bible. This is one of them. This was Paul's prayer for the church at Colosse.  This is my prayer for Covenant in the New Year. May God grant us the requests of our hearts as we delight ourselves in Him.  To come to this point of delighting in the Lord,  I pray first that you will have . . .

 

I.  Spiritual Understanding – Col 1:9

 

This was Paul's prayer for the Colossians.

(Col 1:9 NIV)  Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

 

Paul prayed for the church that they would be able to understand the. . .

 

A. Will of God – "We have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will."

Knowing the will of God begins with wanting to know it.  It is necessary, then, to . . .

 

1.  Ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will.

2.  Tell Him that you are willing to do it.

3.  Give him all of your time, talents and treasures to Him.  God will make sure you have enough to take care of your needs.

4.  Give Him everything without reserve. 

 

At an auction, someone selling an item may set a "reserve" price indicating that it the item will not be sold unless a certain price is met or higher.  Many Christians live their lives with a "reserve" price on them.  They have pre-set the limits to the investment of their lives, resources, and time to the service of Christ.  They will not serve if the perceived loss is more than they are willing to endure.

Your life belongs to God. Give it back and watch Him multiply the fruit born of  your service to Him.  Knowing the will of God requires that you first give your whole self to God.

 

(Rom 12:1-2 NIV)  Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. {2} Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

 

Secondly, he prayed that they might be able to comprehend  the will of God in all of its wisdom and spiritual understanding (how it fits together in all aspects of life and knowledge) .  The knowledge of the will of God is to be found in the. . .

 

B.  Word of God

 

"We have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding."

 

Tony Fox says, "It doesn't matter how old you are – the Bible is your all in all."

 

1.  As a child, God's Word teaches you the principles of right and wrong.

 

(Prov 22:6 NIV)  Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

 

2.  As a teen, God's Word guides you to the wisdom that will help you avoid the mistakes and pitfalls of youth direct you into responsible adulthood.

 

(Eccl 11:9 NIV)  Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment.

 

3.  As a young adult God's Word instructs you how to remain unharmed by the recklessness of youth.

 

(Psa 119:9 NIV)  How can a young man [or woman] keep his way pure? By living according to your word.

 

4.  As an adult, God's Word advises you in how to function spiritually in your roles.

 

One example of such counsel is . . .  

 

(Col 3:21 NIV)  Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

 

5.  As a mature elder, God's Word will be a treasure of great wisdom and discernment not known by those who are not exercised in it.

 

(Heb 5:14 NIV)  But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

 

As Paul prayed for the church at Colosse, I pray second that you will have. . .

 

II. Spiritual Productivity, Col 1:10

 

(Col 1:10 NIV)  We pray. . . that you may live a life worthy [KJV – "walk worthy"] of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.

 

Paul's prayer for their prosperity was in two areas. First, he prayed that they might be prosperous (fruitful) in their. . .

A.  Walk – "We pray. . . that you may live a life worthy of the Lord"

 

1.  Holiness is our calling.

 

(Eph 1:4 NIV)  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

 

2.  Holiness  is our testimony.

 

(Phil 2:14-15 NIV)  Do everything without complaining or arguing, {15} so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe

 

Secondly, he prayed that they might be prosperous in their . . .

 

B. Good Work– "We pray. . . that you may. . . please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God."

 

If we want to please God and be productive as His servants, then we must know and serve Him in light of the following:

 

1.  Service to God is a command with a promise.

 

(1 Cor 15:58 NIV)  Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

 

2.  Service to God is not accepted from the rebellious and habitual sinner.

 

(Josh 24:19 NIV)  Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.

 

3.  Service to God is accepted only from those who perform it in the right spirit.

 

(James 3:12-18; 4:1 NIV)  My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. {13} Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. {14} But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. {15} Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.  {16} For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. {17} But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. {18} Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.  {4:1}  What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?

 

As Paul prayed for the church at Colosse, I pray third that you will experience God's . . .

III. Spiritual Power, Col 1:10-11

 

(Col 1:10-11 NIV)  And we pray. . .that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: . . .{11} being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully

 

In the coming year it is almost certain that events will occur when we will need God's power to help us.

 

A. What We Might Have to Endure

 

1.  People

 

(Acts 13:17-18 NIV)  The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt, with mighty power he led them out of that country, {18} he endured their conduct for about forty years in the desert.

 

2.  Persecution

 

(2 Tim 3:12-13 NIV)  In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, {13} while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

 

3.  Problems

 

(1 Th 1:3 NIV)  We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

B.  How We Must Endure

 

1.  Patiently

 

a.   Patience is commanded by God.

 

(Rom 12:12 NIV)  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

 

b.  Patience is an expression of love.

 

(1 Cor 13:4 NIV)  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

 

c.  Patience is the result of the Spirit's work in us.

 

(Gal 5:22-23 NIV)  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, {23} gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

 

d.  Patience puts up with the weaknesses and limitations (not sins) of others.

 

(Eph 4:2 NIV)  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

 

e.  Patience is to be extended to everyone.

 

(1 Th 5:14-15 NIV)  And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. {15} Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

 

2.  Joyfully

 

a.  There is hope in the Lord Jesus Christ in the present and the future.

 

(1 Th 1:3 NIV)  We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

b.  There is a co-rulership with Christ awaiting us if we endure.

 

(2 Tim 2:12 NIV)  if we endure, we will also reign with him.

 

c.  There is the promise of victory after we have endured.

 

(Rom 8:35-37 NIV)  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? {36} As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." {37} No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

 

The Prayer

 

Our heavenly Father:  (based on Colossians 1:9-12)

 

I ask that you fill us with the knowledge of your will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.  And I pray this in order that we may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that we may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully  giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.