Opening Prayer
God, give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in Your knowledge. Amen.
Text: Colossians 1:9-14
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
Devotion
You are delivered from the kingdom of darkness, fellow believers, delivered from Satan’s power and the fellowship of his angels. The spirit who rules in the air and is in the children of unbelief to darken their mind and to drive them to all kinds of evil no longer dwells in you and has no power in you. You have been brought over into the kingdom of God’s Son. His blood has cleansed you; you have entered into the heavenly realm in Christ and live in the company of the holy angels. This you should be thankful for and rejoice in it. What you now have through faith and enjoy in hope, you shall soon receive in glory. For the Father has made you fit for the inheritance of the saints in light. But you should show this fitness by a godly life. You have begun; you should grow in it. God’s Spirit wants to give you all wisdom and understanding, greater and greater clarity in the knowledge of God, so that you see deeper and deeper into the mystery of Christ, and greater and greater light and power to walk in a way pleasing to the Lord. The more diligently you pray and use God’s Word, the better you shall know Christ’s love, the stronger you shall become in serving Him and the more fruitful in all good works. When you are faithful in this, then your light becomes greater, the Spirit anoints your eyes to full brightness and fills you with knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. So you can “walk worthy of the Lord.” Think of it: “worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him!”
You are not just beloved to the Father, but your walk should also be pleasing to the holy God, and not just pleasing, but “fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work,” fruitful for good, and not just that, but “fruitful in every good work… strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power.” O listen and learn, and you will no longer lose heart and strength for your sanctification: His glorious power strengthens you in all patience and longsuffering, so that you indeed can keep on and not become weary. All who have tried it know the temptation to become lazy and give up doing good, especially when they cannot harvest soon. Patience is required, and long-suffering: endurance and tireless courage, a childlike mind toward God and all people, but neither will you lack it. For the Almighty, who freed you from hell and the power of the prince of death, strengthens you with all strength according to His glorious power in all patience and longsuffering with joy. Blessed is His name!
Pray then for one another and keep together under the sign of the cross! Always more certain of knowing God, always knowing more how to walk properly, always holier and stronger, more loving and gentler, more patient and more happy! Always full of thanks and praise and singing, until you stand face to face with Him in the light of contemplation!
Closing Prayer
My God, “unfortunately I am still far away! But You who gave me ears to hear, stretch forth Your hand, that from now on I can walk rightly as a Christian in the Spirit of holiness!”
Sweet Jesus, Your good Spirit send
My poor work sanctifying,
And by Your most almighty hand
Strength to my heart supplying.
Then all my works shall sing Your praise,
Made holy by Your dying,
And heaven’s mine for length of days,
On Your pure grace relying.
Kingo: Min Sjæl om du vil nogen tid L 408:9-10 tr. DeGarmeaux;
tune: Jeg vet et evig Himmerig LHy 523; alternate hymn: I trust, O Christ, in You alone ELH 415:3