4 Requests to Ask When Praying for Someone’s Spiritual Growth

March 28, 2017 Year A

Colossians 1:9-14

Christians sometimes pray for spiritual growth for themselves. But there are times when it is important to pray for others, and especially that they will grow spiritually. Christians who are immature, don’t grow. If they don’t grow, they don’t live consistent Christians lives that produce good works and please God.

Maybe you know a Christian who is immature, who needs to grow spiritually. How do you pray for them effectively?

Here are four prayer requests that you can pray for someone else’s spiritual maturity.

FOUR PRAYER REQUESTS TO LIFT TO HELP SOMEONE STRENGTHEN THEIR FAITH

1. Know God’s will (Colossians 1:9)

“For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,” (Colossians 1:9, HCSB)

Knowing what God wants you to do takes spiritual wisdom and discernment. It helps when I take the time to pray that my Christian may learn and understand God’s will.

2. Improve their spiritual relationship with Jesus (Colossians 1:10)

“so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:10, HCSB)

Understanding God’s will only happen as I continue my relationship with Jesus. Many Christians treat their relationship to Jesus like a date that happens once a week on Sunday or even just on occasion. Yet God designed Christians to have a relationship with Jesus every day.

Many times one is distracted and that prevents one from growing in their relationship with Jesus. Whether it is a result of sin or distraction or some other difficulty, Christians sometimes let their relationship with Jesus drift. If a husband or wife did that in a marriage, it would soon end in a divorce. Because the marriage would have stalled and the person would feel like they are growing in their relationship with their spouse. Then the same would be true in a Christian’s relationship with Jesus.

3. Receive spiritual strength (Colossians 1:11)

“May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy” (Colossians 1:11, HCSB)

Trials are part of Christian growth. This is why a Christian is called to have patience and endurance. So when you see a Christian going through a trial, you can pray for powerful strength to come from God while these Christians are going through a trial. Because a Christian will either learn to be bitter or better on the other end of their difficult experiences.

4. Thank God with a joyful heart (Colossians 1:11-12)

“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 enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light.” (Colossians 1:11–12, HCSB)

Thankfulness is a signal of spiritual maturity. Someone who always asking for complaining how God is not helping is showing their immaturity. Significantly, many Christians who are thankful have been through trials and the trials have strengthened them. Thankfulness is an attitude that comes out of that difficult experience.

Here, Paul reminds the Colossians church that a Christian can be thankful for the many works that God has done for them. These works of God one could pray for another Christian, so that they may realize that their growth is tied to God’s work in their lives (Colossians 1:12-14).

“giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. We have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, in Him.” (Colossians 1:12–14, HCSB)

God has delivered them from the darkness. He has forgiven them of their sins. He has proven His love for them.

Prayer: God, please remind me to pray for the spiritual growth of my Christian friends and family. I want to thank you for giving the privilege of praying for the growth of Christian friends.