Col 1:9 - 11

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;

Ps 48:14

For this is God, is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death.

 

In the days of the Colossians, there were those that came in with evil ways into the church and so Paul wrote this letter to the Colossians to overcome these evil ways by righteous, godly, religious laws and rules of God.

These days we hear that we are not under the law, but under grace. If we are not under the law of God, we are lawless. In Rom 8 Paul says that we are under the law of the Spirit of God. We do not speak about the law that kills, but the law of God's Spirit that brings life.

Paul and Timotheus were men of prayer. They wrote here how they were in constant prayer for this church of God.

1) They prayed that God would reveal His will to these people. That they would be aware what God's will is and recognise His will for their lives. In Matt 7:21 we read, not all who say 'Lord, Lord', belong to Him and will enter heaven, but only those that do the will of the Father. According to this text, it is not just to try to please God with a few selected truths of God's will. No, they prayed that the church would come be complete and perfect in the knowledge of His will, wisdom and understanding.

Often when I fly, I look and listen to what the people read and speak. I watch what they do before they go to bed, and then I cry to God, 'Is there not even one here that seek after God and who wants to do His will?' I feel like speaking to them about seeking and knowing God's will, and then I think of how they will respond that it is madness to speak about this matter in the time we live in. Even if it is madness to them, may it not be madness to us here today.

God's will and ways go against the will and ways of man. There's God's will and His ways, and then there's man's will and his ways. These two do not match. There's thousands upon thousands of Christians who claim that they are doing God's will and yet do their own will. We do not speak about that, but truly about God's will. Neither do we speak about the will of the world or the flesh. Today, each one needs to answer the question, 'According to whose will do I live?' You need godly wisdom to discern whose will you follow - your own will, your wife's will, the flesh's will, or God's will. This will influence all aspects of your life, from head to toe, even to what you wear and what you do.

You may be sincere, but sincerely wrong. You must make sure that in your sincerety, you do God's will sincerely, and not another's will.

2) Paul prayed that they might do God's will. It does not help to ask God to reveal His will to you, and when He does it, you do not do it. Remember Jesus' word, how that the one who hears His Words, but does not do it, is a fool. So if you hear God's will, but does not do it, you are a fool. When He reveals His will to you, do it - then you are a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. Even when all the storms and floods of life and hell comes against you, you will stand and overcome.

3) Paul prayed that they might increase and grow in God's will. It is good that we grow in our spiritual life and in God's knowledge - even that others we fellowship with, might see and know it. If a baby does not grow, there's something wrong.

We only touched upon a few points. We also read here that we ought to live a life worthy of the Lord, pleasing to Him. Even when you meet with black, white or whatever culture, that your lives might shine as the sun. That even your thoughts and attitudes might be to God's glory and be pleasing to Him.

4) May God, who has all power and majesty, enable you to have all endurance and patience until the end with joy. Even in the darkest night, may your praises be heard. This was written by a man in prison! This is what God is saying to you today.

According to Ps 48:14 - this God, that says these things, He is our God for ever. He will guide us. Then our future will be bright in this and the next world.