The Knowledge Of His Will
February 2026
“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.” —Col. 1:9
As stated in an earlier article on Colossians, the purpose of the epistle was to address three streams of error that were creeping into the church. They were:
• Ascetism. The practice of strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual disciples; rigorous abstention from self-indulgence.
• Legalism. This is man’s attempt to attain righteous and holiness by obedience to man-made rules and regulations.
• Gnosticism. The false teaching of an arrival of intellectual and superior knowledge apart from the Word of God.
In Colossians 1:9, the apostle begins by stating that he does not cease to pray for them. His prayer for them is that fruit would continue and that false doctrine would not be heeded but thrown aside. In this, we see the importance of prayer that every believer should engage in on a daily basis.
It is impossible for one to have a proper relationship with the Lord and mature in Christ without a consistent daily prayer life. It is through prayer that the Holy Spirit begins to work in our lives and begins the work of sanctification and guidance in our lives.
I have learned, especially since I moved into the position of leadership that I now occupy,how important prayer is. My personal daily discipline is as follows: Monday through Friday, I get up at about 4:20 a.m. to begin my five-mile run at 4:30. When I get back at about 5:30 a.m., I change clothes and immediately begin to seek the Lord in earnest for His help. My prayer is very simple, as outlined by Paul in Philippians in 3:10, “That I may know Him.” I know that within my own self, I cannot be the leader, the preacher, the pastor, the husband, or the father I should be without the Lord’s help. I pray daily for the Lord to bend me, break me, mold me, and shape me. I seek the Lord not as much for the things He can do, but I seek Him more for who He is.
I want my life to be a life of holiness and righteousness. I want my life to be Christlike in every way possible.
As well, every Saturday morning at 10 a.m., we have corporate prayer at Family Worship Center. And, just recently, I instituted a pastoral staff prayer meeting every Tuesday from12:15 to 1 p.m., except during share-a-thons. As I told our pastors when I instituted this, we are praying for a move of God. We are seeking Him to have His way in our church. We are seeking Him for the moving of the Holy Spirit, the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Simply put, we can’t make it—and neither can you make it—without a purposeful and dedicated prayer life.
I encourage you to set aside a certain time each day to seek the Lord and, if you do, I can guarantee you—your life will change.
Paul’s prayer for the Colossians was also for them to “be filled with the knowledge of hiswill,” meaning His will for the conduct of their lives! He is speaking of the plan of God for our life and service in the kingdom of God.
The Lord has a plan for every single individual believer. There is a purpose for each of us.
In the kingdom, there is the universal will of God for the church as a whole—that all maybe Christlike and faithful to His Word and bear fruit. But there is also a will of God for each individual. For some that will be one of the five-fold ministry giftings as found in Ephesians 4:11. For the rest who are not called into pulpit ministry, the Lord has a planand a purpose for them to fulfill regarding their place in the kingdom of God.
The only way that you can find out the will of God for your life is to diligently seek His face as to what His will is for your life.
Paul then says that his prayer for them is that they may grow, “in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” Spiritual wisdom and understanding stands in direct opposition to worldly, fleshly wisdom and understanding.
If one truly has godly wisdom and spiritual understanding, then one will not be deceived by the powers of darkness with false doctrine.
The wisdom of God is the Word of God and the flow of the Holy Spirit in one’s life. The wisdom of God is also found in the cross of Christ. Godly wisdom will always be centered up in the person of Christ and sacrifice of Christ.
As Paul desired these godly benefits to be found in the Colossians, so do I desire that you know the will of God for your life and that you are walking “in all wisdom and spiritual understanding!”