HCCWG | 02.15.26 | Bryan Vincent

Devotional

Day 1: Prayer is a direct and personal conversation with God.

Prayer is not a complex ritual but a simple, heartfelt conversation. It is the means by which we connect with our Heavenly Father, sharing our deepest thoughts, fears, and joys. Just as a child speaks openly with a parent, we are invited to approach God with genuine honesty and trust. This connection fosters intimacy and allows us to experience His loving presence in our daily lives. [29:24]

And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:7-8 ESV)

Reflection: In what area of your life do you find it most difficult to speak to God with the same simple, direct honesty as a child? What is one step you could take this week to make your prayers more genuine and conversational?

Day 2: Continually seek to know and do God’s will.

The desire to know God's will is not just for major life decisions but for every moment of our days. It is a continual pursuit that shapes our character and aligns our desires with His. As we persistently ask God to fill us with the knowledge of His will, we cultivate a heart that longs to please Him in all things. This ongoing prayer refocuses our minds and invites God’s guidance into the ordinary and the extraordinary. [38:46]

...do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:17 ESV)

Reflection: Where in your routine this week—during your commute, work tasks, or time at home—could you incorporate a short, breath prayer asking God to reveal His will to you?

Day 3: Break paralysis by taking faithful action.

Uncertainty about God's specific will can often lead to fear and inaction. Yet, we are not called to a paralyzed life of waiting for a sign. Instead, we are to actively pursue what we already know pleases God: bearing spiritual fruit, growing in our knowledge of Him, and loving our neighbors. God faithfully steers us when we are moving in faith and obedience to His revealed Word. [55:58]

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. (James 4:17 ESV)

Reflection: What is one "good work" you know God has already called you to do—perhaps an act of kindness, forgiveness, or service—that you can actively pursue this week, even while seeking clarity on other matters?

Day 4: Rely on God’s power for endurance and patience.

Following God's will is not promised to be easy, and our own strength will inevitably fail. We have access to the same divine power that raised Christ from the dead, which is granted to us for perseverance through difficult circumstances and patience in challenging relationships. This power is not for our own glory but to sustain us as we faithfully walk the path God has set before us. [59:29]

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13 ESV)

Reflection: When you consider a current challenge that requires endurance or a relationship that requires patience, how can you consciously rely on God’s strength rather than your own today?

Day 5: We please God because we are already accepted in Christ.

Our motivation for obedience is rooted not in a desperate attempt to earn God’s love, but in a joyful response to the love we have already received. Through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we have been rescued from darkness, completely forgiven, and fully qualified for an eternal inheritance. We strive to please Him out of gratitude for this grace, secure in our identity as His beloved children. [01:05:05]

For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14 ESV)

Reflection: How does the truth that you are fully accepted and qualified by Christ’s work, not your own, change the way you approach your relationship with God today?

Sermon Summary

Paul’s words in Colossians 1:9–14 shape a practical, gospel‑rooted pattern for prayer. Prayer functions first as conversation with God that connects believers to him and becomes the place where God does his work. Paul prays that Christians be filled with the knowledge of God’s will so that their lives would please Christ; that longing for God’s will arises not merely to get direction but to cultivate a heart that desires to honor him. Prayer should be continual, not episodic—an ongoing petition that reorients daily decisions and forms a persistent appetite to do God’s will.

Practical rhythms accompany that petition. Short breath prayers—brief, repeatable lines such as “Lord, fill me with the knowledge of your will”—serve to refocus attention throughout the day and keep life oriented toward God. Scripture, the life of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit work together: the Bible reveals God’s general will; Jesus embodies how that will looks in flesh and character; the Spirit provides wisdom and specific guidance for particular decisions. Rather than waiting for elaborate signs, believers should keep moving in obedience—bearing fruit, growing in knowledge, and remaining open to the Spirit’s strengthening.

Paul’s prayer also addresses common paralysis about decisions. The response lies in three actions: progress (continue producing good fruit and pursuing known obedience), power (ask for God’s strength for endurance and patience in hardship), and praise (cultivate joyful thanksgiving because God’s saving work has already qualified believers for an inheritance). The cross secures redemption and forgiveness; acceptance before God rests on Christ’s finished work, so obedience flows from identity, not from earning it.

Finally, the prayer culminates in invitation and application: adopt the continual petition, practice breath prayers, pursue holiness shaped by Scripture and Jesus, rely on Spirit‑given power, and respond in gratitude to the gospel that has already qualified sinners into the kingdom of light. That pattern turns uncertainty into sustained spiritual motion—faithful seeking, practical obedience, and thankful hope anchored in Christ.

Key Takeaways

1. Pray for knowledge of God's will Paul’s primary petition asks for filling with the knowledge of God’s will. This knowledge functions less as a one‑time answer and more as an ongoing formation of desire to please Christ in every decision. The request shifts prayer from problem‑solving to heart reshaping so choices flow from devotion, not mere strategy. [34:08]
2. Pray continually, not occasionally Paul models relentless intercession: the petition repeats without ceasing. Continual prayer trains attention, turning sporadic crisis praying into steady communion that informs small and large decisions alike. Persistent petitions reveal whether the heart truly seeks God’s will as a habit rather than a resort. [38:46]
3. Practice a simple breath prayer Short, repeatable prayers reconnect attention to God in daily moments. A breath prayer compresses a theological desire into a single inhale and exhale, creating a rhythm of presence that reorients decisions, tempers anxiety, and cultivates longing for God’s will. Repetition forms desire and opens space for Spirit wisdom. [39:45]
4. Break paralysis with progress, power, praise When decision‑fear stalls life, act on what God already commands: bear fruit, grow in knowledge, seek strength, and give thanks. Movement invites God’s guidance; power supplies endurance in trials; praise keeps hope anchored in gospel reality. This triad turns stuckness into faithful momentum. [55:08]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[27:54] - Kid Prayers and Introduction
[29:24] - What Is Prayer?
[30:39] - Learning From Paul’s Prayer
[32:51] - Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:9–14
[35:28] - Three Petitions Overview
[36:08] - First Petition: Know God’s Will
[39:45] - Practicing Breath Prayers
[46:39] - How to Know God’s Will
[52:45] - Second Petition: Break Paralysis
[55:08] - Progress, Power, and Praise Explained
[62:41] - Third Petition: The Cross and Acceptance
[68:40] - Corporate Prayer and Response

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: Colossians 1:9–14 (ESV)
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Observation questions

What are the three main things Paul prays the Colossians would be filled with?
According to the passage, what are the four specific actions that result from being filled with the knowledge of God's will?
What is the reason given for being able to give "joyful thanks" to the Father?
What two things has the Father done for us, according to verses 13 and 14?

Interpretation questions

Why might Paul emphasize praying *continually* for the knowledge of God's will rather than just in moments of big decisions? [38:21]
How do the concepts of "bearing fruit" and "growing in the knowledge of God" work together to break the paralysis of not knowing God's specific will? [55:58]
What is the significance of the word "qualified" being in the past tense? How does this completed action change our motivation for wanting to please God? [01:05:05]
In what ways do the Bible, the life of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit work together to help us understand God's will? [51:03]

Application questions

The knowledge of God's will is meant to be an ongoing formation of desire, not just a one-time answer for a big decision. [34:08] What is one routine part of your day (e.g., commuting, a work break, making lunch) where you could practice a short "breath prayer" like "Lord, fill me with the knowledge of your will" to reorient your heart?
Progress is made by doing what we already know to be God's will. [57:33] What is one "good work" or act of love for God or your neighbor that you know you should be doing, but have put off? What is one practical step you can take this week to start bearing that fruit?
Hard circumstances don't necessarily mean you're outside of God's will. [58:17] Where in your life right now are you needing "endurance" for a situation or "patience" with a person? How can you specifically ask God for His "glorious might" to strengthen you in that area?
We are to give thanks *joyfully* because we are already qualified and accepted by God through Christ. [01:03:15] When you feel a lack of joy, what are three specific things from Colossians 1:12-14 that you can thank God for, regardless of your circumstances?
Obedience flows from our identity in Christ, not from a desire to earn acceptance. [01:06:44] How might your approach to a current challenge or decision change if you truly believed you were already fully pleasing to God because of Jesus, not because of your perfect performance?
God often steers a moving ship. [57:33] What is one step of faithful obedience you feel prompted to take, even if you don't have the entire picture of God's plan figured out?

Sermon Clips

So here's kinda how I think about it. God's general will for our lives, and I would add this, is perfectly revealed through Jesus in the Bible. The Bible is God's perfect and complete revelation of God's will for our life. If you just wanna know generally questions about marriage, career, entertainment, all those things, got a lot of great insight in the Bible. [00:50:56] (28 seconds) #BibleRevealsWill

And the more that I began to pray that, Lord, fill me with the knowledge of your will so I can please you in every way, I felt this desire for God's will stirring up in my heart, a desire to please God that wasn't there to before. And so why do why do I wanna know God's will? Because I wanna please God in every single way. That's what this prayer is. It's the heartbeat for every follower of Jesus, and I began to feel that in my heart and in my soul as I prayed this moment by moment throughout the day. [00:41:36] (29 seconds) #DesireToPleaseGod

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HCCWG | 02.15.26 | Bryan Vincent | How Paul Prayed