Praying Paul’s Prayers :: Colossians 1:3-14, 19-20

A Prayer for the Church adapted from Colossians 1:3-14, 19-20 ESV

I/we thank You God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for _________.  I/we pray that You would increase our/their/his/her faith in Christ Jesus and our/their/his/her love for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for us/them/him/her in heaven. I/we ask that the word of the truth, the gospel which makes that hope known, which came to us/them/him/her on the day we/they/he/she heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, would bear fruit and grow in us/them/him/her as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing.  I/we pray that the gospel would also bear fruit and grow in the beloved fellow servants and faithful ministers of Christ You have called to disciple _________ so that we/they/he/she might display Your love in the Spirit to our/their/his/her neighbors, the nations, and the next generation.

And so, I/we do not want to cease to pray for _________ , asking that we/they/he/she may be filled with the knowledge of Your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of You, Lord, fully pleasing to You, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May _________ be strengthened with all power, according to Your glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to You, Father, who has qualified us/them/him/her to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.  Remind _________ that You have delivered us/them/him/her from the domain of darkness and transferred us/them/him/her to the kingdom of Your beloved Son, in whom _________ has redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

I/We ask these things in the name of Jesus, in whom all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross,  Amen.