Knowledge of God's Will
Today’s devotion looks at Colossians 1, verse 9. If you have a Bible open it and grab your journal page and something to write with.
Paul is hearing good news about the New Believers in the Church, but he’s also hearing about a potential spiritual danger that’s already seeping into the Church. And so, in this verse, Paul is going to pray for the New Church in the City of Colossae. And by the Living Word, this is also God’s prayer for you and I today.
Colossians 1:9 (NLT)
9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Again, the first half of verse 9, So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. And then, here’s our focus. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will… This word for knowledge involves personal recognition. It’s like a “knowledge by intimate acquaintance.” It’s knowing God’s will by knowing God – knowing God personally and relationally. And within that intimate relationship, it’s knowing that complete or mature knowledge of God’s will.
But that’s only half of the equation in this verse. The other half is in the second part of verse 9. It says, …and we ask [God] (God is implied) to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Spiritual wisdom is a wisdom that is received by the Holy Spirit. It refers to being rightly led by the Holy Spirit in God’s wisdom. And wisdom is the right application of knowledge. And so, spiritual wisdom is the leading of the Holy Spirit in the right application of knowledge that God gives us of his will.
That’s the whole verse. And we need that so badly. And this word understanding at the end of the verse is a spiritual understanding. This phrase refers to us being able to correctly grasp the meaning or the importance of a thing spiritually or as it is revealed by the Holy Spirit. And so, just as it was in the first half, and the prayer for complete knowledge in the second half, this spiritual wisdom and understanding also come from a mature, growing, intimate relationship with God through his Word and by his Holy Spirit.
So, let’s pray through this verse together.
Heavenly Father, we pray that you would give us a complete or mature knowledge of your will. And Lord, we know that this knowledge comes through a real and an ongoing relationship with you, Lord. A relationship where we are close enough to you that you can lead us, and you can guide us by your Holy Spirit through your Living Word, and within our relationship with you, together. And we pray for that ever-deepening relationship with you today – today and every day, Lord.
And we pray that through that relationship, we would receive from you the knowledge, the full or mature knowledge of your will in our lives, Lord, as you would lead us and guide us in and through our relationship with you, through your Word and by your Spirit.
And along with the knowledge of your will, Lord, we pray for true spiritual wisdom and understanding. We ask you, God, to please pour into us, by your Holy Spirit and within our relationship with you, pour into us your spiritual wisdom and your spiritual understanding. Lord, Jesus, we commit to crucify our own wisdom and our own understanding. And we pray, instead, that you would fill us with your complete knowledge, the complete knowledge of your will and your spiritual wisdom and your spiritual understanding.
Please do this for us, Lord, by your Holy Spirit, within our real relationship with you, by your Word, through your Word, and most importantly, Lord Jesus, for your glory in our lives. It is in your mighty, life-changing name, Jesus, that we pray, amen.
If you’re using our Alone With God Devotion Journal, or have the journal page or your own journal, don’t stop there. Take a few minutes to work through the journal page.
First, under “What is God Saying?” just write Colossians 1:9 in your own words, focusing on our need to have complete knowledge of God’s will and to have God’s spiritual wisdom and understanding. Simply re-write the verse in your own words. And as you do, just be meditating on the words and your need for these two critical things.
And then, under “How Does This Apply?” write specifically where in your life right now do you need God to lead you. Where do you need God to lead you into the knowledge of his will and to lead you with his spiritual wisdom and understanding? Write down specifically where this applies to your life today.
Then, under “How Will You Respond?” write what action you will take to get into a place with God where you can receive the knowledge of his will and where you can receive his spiritual wisdom and understanding by the Holy Spirit and through his Living Word and within your daily relationship with him.
And finally, in your journal, write a short “Prayer” to God based on your interaction with him in this verse. Ask him for his grace and his power to do this work in you and to be honored and glorified through your life.
You can go to wordbymail.com to order the Alone With God Devotion Journal or download the Journal Page. You can also text us at 877-790-9673.
I pray that you are blessed today with the knowledge of God’s will and his spiritual wisdom and his spiritual understanding, all by the Holy Spirit and through your very real relationship with the Lord Jesus.
Paul is hearing good news about the New Believers in the Church, but he’s also hearing about a potential spiritual danger that’s already seeping into the Church. And so, in this verse, Paul is going to pray for the New Church in the City of Colossae. And by the Living Word, this is also God’s prayer for you and I today.
Colossians 1:9 (NLT)
9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Again, the first half of verse 9, So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. And then, here’s our focus. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will… This word for knowledge involves personal recognition. It’s like a “knowledge by intimate acquaintance.” It’s knowing God’s will by knowing God – knowing God personally and relationally. And within that intimate relationship, it’s knowing that complete or mature knowledge of God’s will.
But that’s only half of the equation in this verse. The other half is in the second part of verse 9. It says, …and we ask [God] (God is implied) to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Spiritual wisdom is a wisdom that is received by the Holy Spirit. It refers to being rightly led by the Holy Spirit in God’s wisdom. And wisdom is the right application of knowledge. And so, spiritual wisdom is the leading of the Holy Spirit in the right application of knowledge that God gives us of his will.
That’s the whole verse. And we need that so badly. And this word understanding at the end of the verse is a spiritual understanding. This phrase refers to us being able to correctly grasp the meaning or the importance of a thing spiritually or as it is revealed by the Holy Spirit. And so, just as it was in the first half, and the prayer for complete knowledge in the second half, this spiritual wisdom and understanding also come from a mature, growing, intimate relationship with God through his Word and by his Holy Spirit.
So, let’s pray through this verse together.
Heavenly Father, we pray that you would give us a complete or mature knowledge of your will. And Lord, we know that this knowledge comes through a real and an ongoing relationship with you, Lord. A relationship where we are close enough to you that you can lead us, and you can guide us by your Holy Spirit through your Living Word, and within our relationship with you, together. And we pray for that ever-deepening relationship with you today – today and every day, Lord.
And we pray that through that relationship, we would receive from you the knowledge, the full or mature knowledge of your will in our lives, Lord, as you would lead us and guide us in and through our relationship with you, through your Word and by your Spirit.
And along with the knowledge of your will, Lord, we pray for true spiritual wisdom and understanding. We ask you, God, to please pour into us, by your Holy Spirit and within our relationship with you, pour into us your spiritual wisdom and your spiritual understanding. Lord, Jesus, we commit to crucify our own wisdom and our own understanding. And we pray, instead, that you would fill us with your complete knowledge, the complete knowledge of your will and your spiritual wisdom and your spiritual understanding.
Please do this for us, Lord, by your Holy Spirit, within our real relationship with you, by your Word, through your Word, and most importantly, Lord Jesus, for your glory in our lives. It is in your mighty, life-changing name, Jesus, that we pray, amen.
If you’re using our Alone With God Devotion Journal, or have the journal page or your own journal, don’t stop there. Take a few minutes to work through the journal page.
First, under “What is God Saying?” just write Colossians 1:9 in your own words, focusing on our need to have complete knowledge of God’s will and to have God’s spiritual wisdom and understanding. Simply re-write the verse in your own words. And as you do, just be meditating on the words and your need for these two critical things.
And then, under “How Does This Apply?” write specifically where in your life right now do you need God to lead you. Where do you need God to lead you into the knowledge of his will and to lead you with his spiritual wisdom and understanding? Write down specifically where this applies to your life today.
Then, under “How Will You Respond?” write what action you will take to get into a place with God where you can receive the knowledge of his will and where you can receive his spiritual wisdom and understanding by the Holy Spirit and through his Living Word and within your daily relationship with him.
And finally, in your journal, write a short “Prayer” to God based on your interaction with him in this verse. Ask him for his grace and his power to do this work in you and to be honored and glorified through your life.
You can go to wordbymail.com to order the Alone With God Devotion Journal or download the Journal Page. You can also text us at 877-790-9673.
I pray that you are blessed today with the knowledge of God’s will and his spiritual wisdom and his spiritual understanding, all by the Holy Spirit and through your very real relationship with the Lord Jesus.