Monday August 16, 2010

Read Colossians 1:9

Wouldn’t you love to know the will of God for your own life? I’ve had many Christians tell me that this is their deepest desire. In vs 9 Paul tells the Colossians that he prays for God to fill them with a knowledge of His will. Now of course, many Christians want to know whether God wants them to take job x or y or to marry person A or B and so on.

But before we get to this point in our lives, we need to understand very clearly the will of God and what that means. The will of God is the standard that God accepts. It’s His absolute standard that He has specified. How do I know that will of God? It’s written in His Word. To know the will of God, I must know my Bible. I must know the Word. I must be immersed in the Word. (Remember John 15:7-8???).

When Paul prays that the Colossians know the will of God, he’s praying that they know what God has revealed (or in their case, will reveal) in His Word. Think about that in every day terms. How do I know God’s will for me as a husband? It has been revealed to me in God’s word. How do I know God’s will in how to treat my enemies? It’s revealed to me in God’s Word. How do I know God’s will about  some action or thought being right or wrong? It’s revealed to me in the Word of God.  If I am going to find out the will of God for my life I have to understand the will of God that has been revealed to me in His Word.

Here’s a thought for you to wrestle with: If I am unwilling to apply the will of God to my life as revealed in the Bible, God will not reveal the specifics of His will for my life. Reading Psalm 25:12 is very challenging.

Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

God will instruct the man/woman who fears Him in the way chosen for him or her. What’s the opposite truth revealed here? If I don’t fear God and don’t care about applying God’s word to my life in general terms, the specifics won’t be revealed to me.

One of the best things that you and I can be doing is to keep growing in the knowledge of God.

Prayer:-

Pray for your brothers and sisters in your congregation asking God to fill them with a knowledge of His will. Pray that all the believers in your congregation would be growing and maturing. Pray that those who are unbelievers or unsure of where they stand with the Lord would be convinced of the atoning work of Jesus and His love for them personally. Pray that we’d see these people come to the Lord in repentance and faith.

ü Pray that God would be working powerfully in India as many continue to come to faith in Christ. Pray for those who preach and teach and evangelise that God would lead them and use them powerfully.

MEAT 4  THE MATURE

Spend time in prayer with God asking him if there are any specific areas where you do not submit to God’s will.