Here is my third and, for the time being, final attempt to re-phrase one of Paul’s prayer-reports as a prayer we can pray ourselves. I would love to know what you think, and especially what it feels like to use these as your own prayers. I hope you’ll give them a go! This one is taken from Colossians 1:9-14.
God of truth, from whom comes all true knowledge, wisdom and understanding;
We ask you to fill us with the knowledge of your will, a wisdom and understanding that come from your Spirit in us – a knowledge which is not merely intellectual but genuinely spiritual, and not only for making decisions and behaving as we should – so that we may always know what you want and what your purposes are;
And we ask this, not as an end in itself, but so that we may walk through each day and all of life in a way that is worthy of the Lord Jesus, pleasing him in everything we do: bearing fruit for him by doing what is good, growing in all that we know of you, enduring strongly as we experience your mighty power in us, joyfully giving thanks to you, Father:
You have qualified us, by virtue of what Christ has done, to live as you promised with all your people in your presence for ever; you have delivered us from the tyranny of darkness (sin and death and Satan) and transferred us into the beautiful reign of your own dearly loved Son – in him we are redeemed and our sins are forgiven. Amen.