How to Pray for Your Counselees

⁹ 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,
¹⁰ 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;
¹¹ being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;
¹² giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
(Col. 1:9-12 ESV)

Here we have Paul’s prayer for the saints in Colossae.  It is a prayer that one would do well to pray for himself as well as his counselees. Take note of what he prays…..

• That the believers may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding
• That the believers would walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him
• That their pleasing walk would:
  – bear fruit
  – result in an increase in knowledge
  – result in being strengthened
  – result in thanksgiving

Do your prayers for your counselees resemble Paul’s prayer for the Colossians?

Notice that the being filled is passive. It is what Paul prays will happen to his fellow believers.  God must do the filling.  God must reveal the truth.  As counselors we cannot make someone see the truth of God’s Word.  Our task is to faithfully study God’s Word that we may faithfully minister it. God brings the understanding.  Do you pray that your counselees will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will?

Why does Paul desire that the Colossians be filled with this knowledge? He desires it so that they may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him.  Do we desire anything less for the ones we counsel? We want them to please the Lord in all things but what does that look like?

Paul tells us.  A walk that is fully pleasing to God bears fruit in every good work.  Do you see continued growth in your counselee in the area of effective service to God and others? Paul adds to service an increase in the knowledge of God.  Does your counselee demonstrate a growing knowledge of God? He also states that a walk that is fully pleasing to God is one that is being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might. Does your counselee appear to be growing in endurance and patience in the midst of the trial or suffering? Does the counselee see his need for God? Finally, Paul mentions giving thanks to the Father.  Does your counselee give thanks to God who has qualified him to share in the inheritance of the saints in light?

Friends, I encourage you to make time to consider this passage of God’s Word. Do you pray this way for those you counsel? Do you pray this way for your brothers and sisters in Christ?

May we all be filled with the knowledge of God’s will that we would walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him.

By His Grace Alone,

Josh