Colossians 1:9

“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;” Daily devotion

There is something revealing about the things we ask God for when we pray for other people. We naturally pray about illness, difficulties, finances, relationships and the circumstances that trouble those we love. There is nothing wrong with such prayers. Scripture repeatedly invites us to bring real needs before God. Yet Paul’s prayer for the Colossians reaches beneath circumstances to something deeper.

He desires that they should be “filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” His concern is not merely that life should become easier for them, but that they should become people capable of living faithfully whatever life brings. The original commentary rightly draws attention to the purposeful depth of Paul’s prayer: he asks not merely for relief, but for wisdom and understanding sufficient to discern God’s will. Daily devotion

More Than Knowing What to Do

We often think of God’s will primarily when facing a decision. Should I take this opportunity? Should I remain where I am? Which direction should I choose? We would sometimes like God’s will to arrive as a clear set of instructions removing every uncertainty.

But Paul speaks of something larger: being filled with the knowledge of God’s will.

This is not simply receiving an answer to one question. It is a life increasingly shaped by knowing God — His character, His priorities, His truth and His purposes. The better we know Him, the better equipped we become to recognise what belongs to Him.

Many decisions are not straightforward choices between right and wrong. Often we are choosing between things that are all permissible. The question becomes not simply, Can I do this? but, Is this wise? Is this fruitful? Does this move me towards the person God is calling me to become?

That requires more than rules. It requires wisdom.

Wisdom and Spiritual Understanding

Paul joins two ideas together: “wisdom and spiritual understanding.”

Knowledge alone is not enough. We can know a great deal about Scripture and still apply it poorly. We can possess information without discernment and quote truth without understanding how it should shape the moment before us.

Wisdom asks what truth requires here and now. Spiritual understanding learns to see beneath appearances.

Our world constantly offers alternative measures of what matters. Success is measured by income, influence, attention or achievement. Decisions are often judged by whether they increase comfort, opportunity or recognition. Yet the commentary behind today’s passage reminds us that these things can appear attractive while still failing to lead towards lasting fruit. Daily devotion

Spiritual understanding asks a different question: How does God see this?

That question can reorder everything.

Praying Differently for One Another

Perhaps one of the most practical applications of this verse concerns the way we pray for those around us.

We may pray that a son or daughter succeeds. Perhaps we should also pray that they become wise enough to recognise which successes are worth having. We may pray that a friend finds a new job, but also that they discern where God would have them serve. We may pray that someone escapes a difficult situation, while also asking that God forms something within them through it.

Such prayer sees beyond the immediate.

It recognises that the greatest gift we can ask for another person is not a life without difficulty, but a life increasingly able to recognise and follow God.

And perhaps others need us to pray that way for them because there will be moments when they cannot see clearly for themselves.

When the Noise Becomes Loud

Discernment is especially important because our lives are crowded with voices.

Culture tells us what should matter. Advertising tells us what we need. Fear tells us what must be avoided. Pride tells us what must be proved. Desire tells us what must be possessed. Even good advice can conflict.

Into that noise Paul offers a better prayer: that we might become so filled with the knowledge of God’s will that His wisdom begins to order everything else.

An ordered soul does not possess an answer to every question. It possesses something more important: a growing ability to recognise the direction of God.

So today, perhaps our prayer can reach beyond asking God simply to solve what troubles us. We can ask Him to teach us how to see.

And when we pray for those we love, let us ask for something deeper than easier circumstances. Let us pray that they might know God’s will, understand His ways and possess the wisdom to walk faithfully within them.

For sometimes the greatest answer to prayer is not that God changes the road before us.

It is that He gives us the wisdom to walk it.

Explore More

If you have found this helpful, there is more to explore across Saints of the Restoration. You can continue with our Daily Bread devotionals, go deeper through The Deeper Walk, consider some of Life’s Questions, reflect through Bible Poetry, or browse our growing library of free Christian books and study resources.

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