Filled with the Knowledge of the Will of God

When we read the letter's first chapter to the Colossians, we find Paul praying for that church as he learns about how the Gospel is bearing fruit in their midst.

His prayer is twofold. He is filled with thanksgiving as he hears about their faith in Jesus Christ and their love towards all the saints. But he does not stop there; he prays unceasingly that they would be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual strength and understanding.

There is a very important lesson for us to learn here. It's not because we see the good fruit of the Gospel in our churches that we should cease to pray for it. It's quite the opposite, the fact that now the results of the gospel proclamation are starting to become visible, we should be encouraged to pray and ask God for more.

We don't pray for more because we are ungrateful. We pray for more because we want Jesus to receive the full reward of his sacrifice; he died so that we could be presented blameless before the Lord, and while we don't get there, we can't stop pressing on. We need to have engraved in our hearts this deep desire to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him.

And not just that, but I'd make the case that the more you experience God's goodness, the more you want of it. Paul himself experienced the glorious consequences of having his mind renewed by the Word of God and being able to discern God's perfect will. And now he wants God to grant it to his audience. He wants them to experience the same assurance, love, peace and contentment he does.

And it's through the day and night meditation in the words of Scripture - with the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit - and praying over it that we become truly filled with this transformative knowledge.

May God give you the desire and endurance to make this "being filled with the knowledge of God" your godly obsession so that you can walk in a manner that glorifies and honours Him in everything.

Nino Marques