How Should We Pray?
“My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.” Colossians 2:2-4
The way we pray matters. What we pray matters. The apostle Paul understood that and wrote encouragement to the Colossians so they would stay focused on what would protect and grow their faith.
When we pray for our sons and daughters, we pray for their health and well-being. We pray for safety and provision. But how often do we pray for their growth and discernment? Do we pray for the protection of their mind and for a deepening of their knowledge and understanding? Those are things we cannot see, but which have significant impact on the spiritual health of the believer.
Scripture tells us that the mind is the deceiver's biggest battleground. If Satan can capture our thoughts, the rest will follow.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12
Satan hates that we have redemption and eternal life in Jesus Christ. He hates our Savior. He hates light. He hates truth. He wants to lure believers to dwell in darkness and in ignorance of Who Christ is, what He has done and in misunderstanding of truth. Do you see how he twists things? What is good is deemed evil and what is evil is celebrated (isaiah 5:20).
So how can we pray more effectively for our sons and daughters? How can we begin to fight for their spiritual protection and growth? We can start by gaining a better understanding of Scripture and then praying those very words on their behalf. Scripture is powerful and effective and it can accomplish more than our minds can comprehend.
Let’s look at what Paul is praying for the Colossians.
He prays they would be encouraged in heart:
Paul knew the value of being in fellowship with other believers. The Greek word for ‘encouraged’ is parakaleo and it means to come alongside another, to comfort, exhort, pray for another (1). The Holy Spirit is called the ‘paraklete’ and is our supporter and comforter (John 14:26). And so believers have that role for one another- to build each other up and provide encouragement. Pray for fellowship with other believers.
He instructs them that true encouragement must be united, or knit together in love- agape.
The term ‘knit together’ is the Greek word symbibazo and it means to “to join together, unite or knit together in affection”(2). When we truly care for one another we want the best for each other. It’s hard to find deep connections with someone for whom you don’t get along or with whom you have nothing in common. But believers have faith in Christ in common- God has made us brothers and sisters in Christ! We are family and we are driven together by the love of God. That connection sustains and encourages us as we continue our walk of faith. Pray for authentic love among believers.
He longs for them to have full riches of complete understanding:
It’s important that we pray that our sons and daughters have assurance that their faith in Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life and confidence that there is no other belief system, path, or alternate ‘wisdom’ that can bring redemption and eternal life.
The Greek word plerophoria is the word used for understanding and it means “full assurance and the most certain confidence (3). Let’s pray that our sons and daughters have confidence in their understanding of Scripture and in their faith and conviction that Jesus is Lord.
Paul stresses that the Colossians would know Christ- the Source of all wisdom and knowledge.
We don’t want our sons and daughters to just know about Christ, we want them to KNOW Him. We want them to experience Him in their life. We want them to pursue a personal relationship with Him so that they will comprehend the riches of wisdom and knowledge that are found in Him. We don’t want them to just have knowledge. Even Satan has knowledge, but he is doomed. Even demons believe and shudder at the Truth of Jesus. No, we want our sons and daughters to have true knowledge. There is a difference in the original language. Knowledge is the word gnosis and it means intelligence and understanding(4). But true knowledge is the word epignosis and it means precise and correct knowledge(5). It means one is believing and understanding what is proven to be true, correct, and in line with evidence. It is knowledge that changes how someone lives.
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11
Finally, pray for protection against deception.
Pray that our sons and daughters would have deep understanding and knowledge of Scripture and their faithful walk with Christ and fellowship with believers would guard them against deception. There is much out there that sounds good but is founded in lies. There are people who have knowledge of Scripture (gnosis) without the epignosis of faith in Jesus and the teaching and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The messaging that our sons and daughters are encountering daily would try to sway them to compromise their faith, lower their standards, be accepting of sin and open-minded to other ‘pathways’ to God. In the last days the deception will be so strong that, if possible, even the elect would be deceived (Matthew 24:24). Friends, we are there. The presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives and a correct knowledge of Jesus is the protection they need.
The enemy wants our sons and daughters. There is no question about that. We need to pray that they would be strong in their faith, solid in their understanding of Scripture, and rooted in fellowship with other believers. We are in a war- be on guard and use the armor of God to fight against the enemy.
“Father, I pray for (name) today. Build them up in their faith and knowledge of Jesus. Sanctify them by Your truth- Your Word is Truth (John 17:17). Lead them into a vibrant fellowship with other believers that is grounded in correct truth and solid teaching. Lord, they NEED You, though they may not always recognize that. I pray that You would open their eyes and hearts to the full riches of complete understanding. Keep them from sin. Guard them from compromise. Help them to stand steadfast in their faith. Guide them into Your truth and don’t let them walk away from it. Lord, we are in dark days and at some point soon, we may all have to stand boldly in the face of persecution- give us strength and conviction, Lord. Build up the family of believers so that we would encourage one another in love and faithfulness, In Jesus’s name I pray, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
G3870 - parakaleō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3870/niv/mgnt/0-1/
G4822 - symbibazō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4822/niv/mgnt/0-1/
G4136 - plērophoria - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4136/niv/mgnt/0-1/
G1108 - gnōsis - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1108/kjv/tr/0-1/
G1922 - epignōsis - Strong's Greek Lexicon (niv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1922/niv/mgnt/0-1/
Action. Affection. Direction.
Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6:8 is an oft-quoted verse that is so familiar. It’s on plaques and bumper stickers. It’s emblazoned on t-shirts and mugs. It’s a staple of ‘Christianese’.. And often we look at it, mouth the words and in our hearts say ‘Yes! Yes!’, but it’s likely we miss the real depth of the message. Oh, friends, it’s so much more.
God used the prophet Micah to warn the nation of Israel of pending judgment. But what was Israel doing that was deserving of judgment? Well, they strayed from God, followed false gods and were using their power to oppress others. They didn’t want to listen to God’s word and when Micha prophesied, they told him to stop. Their deeds were evil and their hearts were hard (see Micah ch. 2) Couldn’t that be a commentary on our world today?
But when faced with pending judgment, the Israelites were quick and ready to make sacrifices to show their repentance. But, that’s not what God wanted from them. As Micah’s predecessor, Samuel, told the Israelites earlier, “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22) God made it clear, through Micah, what He wanted Israel to do…and it didn’t involve sacrifice, rather, it involved submitting their hearts and lives. He said they must: 1. Do justly. 2. Love mercy. 3. Walk humbly. God addressed their actions, affections and direction.
This is big-picture thinking here. When we pray for our sons and daughters, we pray for safety, we ask God for wisdom, we pray for their relationships, we plead for protection from sin and temptation…and the list goes on. But, friends, that is all encompassed by these three things. Action. Affection. Direction.
Why is it that we struggle with these? “Do justly”. It shouldn’t be difficult, yet we hesitate, we don’t want to get involved, we don’t have time. But God loves justice and it’s a quality of His character. If we are to reflect God and bear His image, shouldn’t we be concerned for just treatment of all those who also bear Him image? (hint, that’s all of mankind, friends)
Then, we’re called to love mercy. LOVE mercy. Yet, we often mete out mercy based on who we think deserves it…and if we deem someone undeserving, we withhold mercy. But being merciful is another quality of God that we’re called to reflect. And we are ALL undeserving of His mercy, yet He gives us to us lavishly.
Here’s the thing…too often we fall into the lure of ‘head knowledge’ and we’re quick to show how much we know and perhaps we become ‘puffed up’ with our theological depth. We mistakenly think that knowledge is the ultimate mark of our spirituality and we lack mercy toward those who may not be as ‘learned’ as we. But our lives lack a reflection of the character of God. Oh, knowledge is good and important, but if we value knowledge above all, we are incomplete. There’s a name for that…it’s called being a Pharisee. Matthew 23:23 ““Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” You see, the Pharisees had a lot of knowledge, and they were quick to sacrifice….but they lacked an understanding and personal knowledge of the heart and character of God. In all of their knowledge, they didn’t reflect Jesus to others. And they lacked humility.
Finally, we’re called to walk humbly with our God. God calls us to secure our direction and ensure we’re moving with Him, not away from and not sitting idly by the way. Colossians 1:10-11 “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;”
Action. Affection. Direction. It’s what we’re called to. It’s what we must be mindful of and intentional to pursue in the context of our faith in Christ.
Let’s pray today that the Lord works in each of these areas in our sons and daughters so they are moved to be imitators of God’s character and followers of His leading in their lives.
“Lord, I pray today that You would empower (name) to act justly today. May their desire for what is right rule every choice they make. Let them be a defender of the oppressed and a lifter of those who need encouragement and help. Keep them from compromise that would desensitize them to the voice of the Holy Spirit. And Father-God, help them to love mercy. May the affections of their heart and mind always be centered on how you poured your love out to us through Jesus’ death while we were still powerless and drenched in sin (Romans 5:6-8) That that love be what motivates them to be merciful to others and demonstrate Christ in them to all those they meet. Finally, Lord, I pray that they would always, always follow after You. May their direction never waver and their moral compass always be true to Your Word and running the race You’ve set before them. I pray that their actions, affection and direction would always reflect Jesus and be a testimony of your saving grace in their life. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Good Directions
Psalm 119:32 “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.”
Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”
Psalm 119:32 shows us the freedom that comes with following Christ “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” There is great encouragement in knowing where you need to go and Who is providing the directions. You can move ahead without fear or uncertainty, or, if there is uncertainty, you know He will provide direction at the right time, you just need to wait and trust. You can be confident that you’re on the right road. But the key is, being aware of those commands and following God’s directions. You have to be attentive to God’s word.
When we don’t know the directions or Who to ask, it gets difficult. Asking directions can be a humbling experience, right? Not only are you admitting you’re lost, but you’re surrendering yourself to the mercy and kindness of others to point you in the right direction. And who knows if they even know… and maybe they’re embarrassed or stressed and they don’t want to look like they don’t know...so they tell you ‘something’ but perhaps it’s not even correct. No wonder few people are eager to admit their need for directions.
At some point, the GPS was invented. People jumped at the chance to buy one and forever (hopefully) banish the humbling process of asking for directions altogether. This way they could look like they knew what they were doing...as long as the GPS was working...and as long as it could connect to the satellite. But, if you traveled to another country, that same GPS wouldn’t work well, if at all. It didn’t have the software needed for that country and if you asked for directions, there was likely a language barrier as well.
Direction can be difficult, but God provides us with a perfect GPS for life through His word. When we become Christ-followers, we need to depend on Him for clear direction, because this is, indeed, a foreign land. We are aliens and strangers here. And we must exhibit great caution, because few speak our ‘language’ of the cross. If we depend on guidance from others who are not Christ-followers we can end up confused, on the wrong road, or worse, following a map to nowhere. But here’s the thing, God is always correct. He’s always ‘switched on’, He doesn’t need an update or a software fix. He’s not dependent on a satellite and He is fluent in every language.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Can we pray today that our sons and daughters choose the way of the cross and depend on the Lord for their direction and guidance? They can’t afford not to.
“Lord, I pray that (name) would reach out to you, even this morning, asking You to guide and direct their day. I pray that they would be humble to recognize they don’t know everything and wise enough to reach out to You. Keep them from following others who don’t acknowledge You as Lord and Savior. Protect their path and guide their steps. Encourage them to continually look to You and trust You, even when the way seems dark and unclear. You are always trustworthy and always in control. Help them to lean in and let You lead. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.