“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, 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; being 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 whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:9-14
DEVOTION – by John Decarreau:
As I look at this passage from Colossians, I am struck by two sections as we focus on praying for “Our Families and Our Community” this week.
First, there is nothing more exciting than watching your family and friends increase in the knowledge of God’s will and spiritual wisdom. To have this transformation, the family has to be connected to the Father in order to know His will. Each day, there are more “shiny objects” of this world competing for our attention. The obedience to block out the temporary (the earthly) to discern the Father’s will (the eternal) is the most powerful gift they can receive. Chasing after that relationship — seeking God — can renew our minds and help us walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.
For me, I was not even close to this understanding until I was into my 30’s. Worldly decisions. Chasing after “me.” Fueled by pride. Each new success fed the illusion. Each failure rattled my weak foundation. But God (His timing is always perfect) intervened and showed me His way. Don’t stop praying for transformation in your family and community. This on-going transformation is core to our walk with Jesus.
The second verse that caught my attention is “bearing fruit in every good work.” It struck me that a fruit tree bears fruit to feed other people, not to consume the fruit itself. As we honor God by using our gifts and talents to serve others, we bear fruit that will feed others and show them the love of Jesus. As we look to pray for our communities, we can pray that God will continue to grow more fruit trees in the community around us… and then beyond.
Over the next week, I encourage you to pray that our families will desire to connect with God and seek His will in our lives, that we will be transformed into His image and that we may bear fruit from our good works that glorifies Jesus to those in our community.
PRAYER:
Matthew 6:5-13 teaches us how to pray. One of the ways we teach children to remember this passage is through the A.C.T.S. acronym.
Adoration
Heavenly Father, you are King of kings and Lord of lords. Transform our hearts to seek your wisdom and walk in a way that is pleasing to You.
Confession
God, I confess there are many times I meet your trials of endurance and patience with anything but joy. I pray that we can see these trials as Your invitation to spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Thanksgiving
God, I am thankful for your plan for us to be in community with others and thankful we get to share in the fruits of each other’s gifts. I pray we are always able to praise you for those gifts.
Supplication
Heavenly Father, I trust you with your plans for my family and our community. I pray we seek your will before we move.
Our staff is praying for our Faith Family as we enter a season of prayer and fasting. If we can come alongside you, please reach out to us individually or through the prayer team at prayer@sanctuaryinhim.org.
Invitation:
We invite you to join us in person at any of our weekly prayer gatherings this month:
- Monday Mornings at 7:00am in the Auditorium
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Tuesday Mornings at 10:00am in the Green Room (Room 125)
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Sunday Mornings at 8:30am in Room 104
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Women’s Prayer Night on May 15 at 7:00pm
