Colossians 1:9-14

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. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. 13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

New Living Translation

In this passage Paul outlines how he is praying for the people in the church. It is a good guideline for us, as we pray for others.

1. Thank God for them.

2. Ask that God will give them complete understanding, not just the parts that come easily to them. That they will have spiritual wisdom, not just human wisdom that accepts the parts of the gospel they like.

3. That they will live to honor and please the Lord, doing good all the time, and be kind to each other.

4. That God will strengthen them with His power so they will have the patience and endurance needed to face life’s challenges.

5. That they will be filled with real joy, not dependant on circumstances, but on God.

6. That they will be truly thankful for all God has done for them.