For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Colossians 1:9-10 KJV
I John 5:14-15 says, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”
When the apostle Paul prayed for the Colossians, he was praying according to the will of God. It was God’s will for the Colossian believers to know His will with all His wisdom and spiritual understanding that they might please Him in all they do. Not only that, but God also desired that they increased in their knowledge of Him. That doesn’t apply only to Colossian believers, but to all believers everywhere throughout time.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) What He did for the Colossian believers back then, He’ll do for us today. Are you praying for the knowledge and understanding of God’s will; for your knowledge of God to increase? That is definitely the will of God for every one of God’s children, and He delights in answering that prayer.
In Colossians, Paul tells us to…
- Be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding
- Walk worthy of the Lord by pleasing Him in every way
- Be fruitful in every good work
- Increase in the knowledge of God
These are excellent goals, and God desires for each and every one of His children to pursue them diligently; but they aren’t gifts such as a God-given talent or a musical ability. It takes commitment, persistence, diligence, and faith to understand God’s will and increase in your knowledge of God; to walk worthy and be fruitful. It doesn’t happen by accident. To be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding you must diligently seek God’s guidance through faithful and consistent prayer and Bible study. You must be obedient to what He shows you and purpose in your heart to listen. If God can’t trust you to obey in the little things, He will not reveal to you the big things.
To walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing means that your life pleases God by your thoughts, your actions, and your motives. It means to live a godly and righteous life, separated from the sins of the world.
To be fruitful in every good work is the natural result of walking worthy of the Lord and pleasing Him in all you do. It means that you will accomplish good things for the Lord in everything you do, and they will have eternal value.
To increase in your knowledge of God you must be in His Word daily – reading, studying, meditating, searching – for answers, for truth, for wisdom, for God. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Searching for God with all your heart requires diligent Bible study, faithful attendance in a doctrinally sound Sunday school class and church service, and earnest prayer time. If you seriously pursue the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding and diligently work to increase in the knowledge of God, you will please God in everything you do and be fruitful in every good work.