New Years: A New Years Prayer

 

A New Year Prayer

EHV Study Bible—The Colossian Heresy

  • Some insisted that Christians must continue to obey the Old Testament ceremonial laws which already then were no longer in force (2:11, 16–17; 3:11).

  • Some gave man-made rules about avoiding certain things (2:21–23).

  • Some apparently worshipped angels (2:18).

  • There is so much powerful emphasis in this letter on the fact that Jesus Christ is God and all the fullness of God dwells in him that false teachers must have been downgrading how great Jesus Christ truly is (1:15–20; 2:2–3, 9).

  • Some were apparently relying on human wisdom and traditions instead of on God’s word (2:4, 8).

  1. A prayer for God’s _____________ to ___________ us into the new year.

9 For this reason, from the day we heard about your love, we also have not stopped praying for you. We keep asking that you would be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, (Col 1:9)
I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, and with skill in all kinds of crafts. (Ex 31:3)
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him: the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. (Is 11:2)
Pastor Kuschel, The People’s Bible: Paul wanted the Colossians to have not just a fact knowledge but a clear and penetrating insight, a heart-transforming and life-renewing knowledge of God’s revelation in Christ.

  1. A prayer for lives that ______________ God’s ___________.

10 so that you might live in a way that is worthy of the Lord. Our goal is that you please him by bearing fruit in every kind of good work and by growing in the knowledge of God, 11 as you are being strengthened with all power because of his glorious might working in you. Then you will have complete endurance and patience, joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. (Col 1:10–12)
A good work is everything a believer does according to God’s Word out of love and thanks for all of the God’s goodness.
Pastor Kuschel, The People’s Bible: … Paul shows how a Christian life can be seen as a perfect circle. Knowledge of God and his saving will for sinners is the basic blessing. It, in turn, results in love for God and in the desire to serve God with a holy life. An important element in a life that pleases God is using God’s means of grace, the gospel in Word and sacrament. As Christians use the means of grace, the Holy Spirit works in their hearts to strengthen them in faith and in the knowledge of God and his will, especially his saving will for them. Thus Christians come full circle.
Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who is the author of our faith and the one who brings it to its goal. In view of the joy set before him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of God’s throne. (Heb 12:2)
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that he would take it away from me. 9 And he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, because my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will be glad to boast all the more in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may shelter me. (2 Co 12:8–9)

  1. A prayer of ______________ for God’s _____________ work in Christ.

13 The Father rescued [ῥύομαι (roo-o-mī)] us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Col 1:13–14)

The Father paid the price to ransom you from eternal punishment and transferred you to his Son’s Kingdom, a kingdom of eternal bliss by sending his Son who actually paid the ransom price for your transfer by suffering your eternal punishment and one of the outcomes of that is all of your sins are forgiven.