This is What We Pray (3)
Colossians 1:9-11 This is what we pray: that God will make you completely sure of what he wants by giving you all the wisdom and spiritual understanding you need; that this will help you live in a way that brings honour to the Lord and pleases him in every way; that your life will produce good works of every kind and that you will grow in your knowledge of God; that God will strengthen you with his own great power, so that you will be patient and not give up when troubles come. Then you will be happy.
Do you ever feel weak, run down, just … blah? And to make things worse, you’ve set yourself such high standards that you’re afraid even to admit that your strength is failing you.
I was on a long drive recently with a ministry colleague and along the way he asked me, “Berni, do you ever wake up feeling just … blah?” Now, we’ve known each other for decades so I thought it was a bit of an odd question.
Yet, I guess, the optimism and confidence that I project day-to-day made him wonder. My answer was, absolutely! Some days I wake up feeling blah! But each morning I spend time praying before I start my day. And, picking up on the Apostle Paul’s prayer for the Colossians …
Colossians 1:9-11 This is what we pray: that God will make you completely sure of what he wants by giving you all the wisdom and spiritual understanding you need; that this will help you live in a way that brings honour to the Lord and pleases him in every way; that your life will produce good works of every kind and that you will grow in your knowledge of God; that God will strengthen you with his own great power, so that you will be patient and not give up when troubles come. Then you will be happy.
Today, let’s check out the last bit of that prayer – that God will strengthen you with his own great power, so that you’ll be patient and not give up when troubles come.
Things change when you pray. The strength you once had returns … by God’s power. That patience you need to deal with your troubles all of a sudden returns. That’s where my strength comes from when I’m feeling blah!
And that’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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