effective prayer

Sometimes I get serious about praying. I try to develop good habits, and to be diligent about remembering things to pray for. At those times, I think a lot about what effective prayer is.

This morning I got an idea of what Paul thinks it is. Look at this, from Colossians 1:9-12: “We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.”

In this brief description of his prayers for the believers in Colossae, Paul provides an outline.

First, what he prays for: that God would fill them with the knowledge of his will by the gift of the Holy Spirit, who gives us wisdom and understanding. In other words, Paul prays that the Spirit will show them what God wants.

Second, there’s a reason. Paul wants them to be able to please God and live a worthy life.

And then, he gets into some hows. He prays that they will please God by bearing fruit in good works, by growing in the knowledge of God, by being strengthened with great endurance and patience, and by joyfully giving thanks to the Father. Four things: fruit, knowledge, endurance and patience, and joyful thanksgiving.

That’s a prayer I can pray for anyone, that they would be shown God’s will and enabled to live a life that pleases God, a life made up of good works, knowledge, patience and joy. I think God would be pleased to answer a prayer like that.