The “Yes” Prayer


Colossians 1:9-14
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to 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. 11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in who we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Sometimes it is difficult to know just what to pray for someone else or even for yourself. In recent years I have become convinced that I don’t have any business telling God what to do. I have pretty much quit making suggestions as to how He should fix something or wave His magic hands to give me what I want. My puny suggestions aren’t worth much in the face of the Almighty God. So that means that often I am left with very little to say and that might not be a bad thing.

In our text for today, Paul offers up a spectacular prayer for the church in Colossae. And as we read through these words what we know is that the answer to all of these petitions is a resounding “yes” because the whole prayer falls within God’s will for our lives. Let’s look at the eight petitions involved in these few verses:

  • filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
  • walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him,
  • bearing fruit in every good work
  • increasing in the knowledge of God
  • May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,
  • giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
  • He has delivered us from the domain of darkness
  • and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in who we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

What an outstanding list of gifts or blessings to pray into someone’s life! Imagine praying this prayer for your children or grandchildren every day. Imagine praying this prayer for your spouse every day. Imagine your life if you prayed this prayer for yourself every day. Imagine praying this prayer for your – enemy every day. These are powerful requests! Look them over again. You are asking God for increasing spiritual knowledge, wisdom and understanding. You are asking Him to help you live in a way that will please Him. You are asking Him for the strength to endure with joy the difficulties of life. You are asking to be delivered from the realm darkness. And you are recognizing that Jesus has died to save the person you are praying for through the forgiveness of sins. This prayer activity has the power to change lives. But the person who will be impacted the most through the use of this prayer is you. You cannot pray this prayer in sincerity for others or yourself and not walk away changed. God’s “yes” resounds through these words because these are worthy petitions.

For years I have inserted the name of the person I wanted to lift up in prayer right into the Scripture.

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for ___________________, asking that ________________________ may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that ____________________________ may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, that _________________________ may bear fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May ________________________ be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified _______________ to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered ______________________ from the domain of darkness and transferred _____________________ to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in who _________________________ has redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

This is more powerful than anything I can make up. Every time I read these words I am reminded of this prayer discipline and encouraged to once again take it up on behalf of the people who need prayer in my life. And really, isn’t that just about everyone that I know?!

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