Colossians 1:9-14 and some thoughts!

In the latest Passion Podcast Louie Giglio read out Colossians 1:9-14. Listening to Louie read it, I found myself completely grabbed by this text so I went through the passage jotting a few notes in my journal and afterward decided that I would bring these thoughts on here and share them.

9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you,
My thoughts are grasped with the notion that Paul prayed continually for people as individuals. A Christian's heart of love toward someone will genuinely pour itself into praying for that person, we ought to understand both the importance of prayer and that true love will lead us to prayer on a persons behalf. Is there anyone who you pray for on a continual basis? Wife, Husband, Child, Friend?
Is there anyone who prays for you on a continual basis? If there is thank them, because they are probably doing more on your behalf than you would think!

and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Here is something that we all want; to know God's will for us. Well, here Paul prays that these guys might be filled with the knowledge of God's will IN WISDOM AND SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING. Here the means by which we are filled with the knowledge of God's will is by wisdom and spiritual understanding, which both come to us through the Word of God - the Bible. Are we reading, studying and implementing the Word of God in our lives, so that we may know His will for us?

10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 ¶ giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
When we are IN wisdom and spiritual understanding and as we know God's will for us we will live lives worthy of the Lord, we will please Him. Our lives and ministry will be fruitful and we will be increasing in the knowledge of God! Knowing God's Word, leads us in His will, living lives of service and fruitful good works which help us know God. This is not to say that we do works in order to know God, but that as we serve because we know His Word, we will see Him at work in and through us, we will see His promises in action and so our knowledge and faith in Him will increase!
We will be strengthened with might by Him, we will receive patience and long suffering and joy and we will find ourselves giving thanks to God who has 'qualified' us to be saints with Him. Again, it is not through our works, or our good deeds, but by the Grace of God that we are partakers of His inheritance.

As well as this there is the obvious questions of "Am I involved in God's will?"; "Am I doing good works?"; "Am I increasing in the knowledge of God?"; "Am I being strengthened by Him?"

13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
We find here what has been done by God for us. He delivered us from the power that sin had over us and He has brought us into and under the authority of His Son - into Jesus' kingdom. Our redemption is found in Jesus, through His blood and in Him alone do we find forgiveness of sins.


We are a redeemed, forgiven people, through the Cross of Jesus who gives us knowledge of His will through wisdom and spiritual understanding, leading us into fruitful good works and further faith and knowledge of God giving us power and perseverance and joy, filling us with gratitude unto God for all that He has done and for who He is.