Cover to Cover Q&A from Genesis 37-Exodus 14

   At our church we have begun a 42 week series where we will be doing an over-view of all of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation!  Throughout these 42 weeks we are encouraging the people at Bethel to follow the Bible reading plan which will bring us all through the whole Bible chronologically over the next 42 weeks!  Each week at Bethel the texts that we read during the week is what the sermon will be based on.  As a part of this series we are giving people opportunities to ask questions about what they are reading that they would like answered.  So every Thursday on this blog myself, alongside the elders, will seek to answer those questions the best we can!  So here we go for the questions we received on Genesis 1-11.

Question #1:  1.) What does it mean to consecrate the firstborn males?  What didi it mean to redeem every firstborn male?  Exodus 13.  It sounds like the firstborn livestock were to be sacrificed but what was it to redeem the firstborn male children?"  (Answered by Josh Robertson and Keith Kinder).

          The consecrating and redeeming of the firstborn males, both for animals and for humans, was for the purpose of reminding the Israelites of how God redeemed the firstborn males of the Hebrews in Egypt by the sacrifice of the lamb that they were commanded to kill and place the blood on their door.  It seemed to be a process by which the works and provision of God in Egypt would be remembered and passed onto the coming generations (vs:14-16).  With animals they would be given the option of either sacrificing the first born to the Lord, or if they refused to sacrifice them, the first born animal would need to be killed (11-13).  It is clear that all firstborn sons were to be redeemed (not sacrificed, or killed) and they were to be redeemed by the killing of a lamb- again pointing back to the God's redeeming the firstborn of Israel in Egypt by the blood of a lamb and also a foreshadowing of what Christ was going to do on the cross in the near future.  
       When we get into Leviticus there are many instructions on redeeming and consecrating things and people through ceremonial sacrifices and/or offerings that the priests were teach the people to do in devotion and submission to YHWH, their God, who was contrasting His expectations versus the demands of the pagan "gods" around them, several of whom demanded child-sacrifice.

Question #2:  When and why did Moses send away his wife and sons in Exodus 18?  In Exodus it sounded like his wife was with him on his return to Egypt (Answered by Keith Kinder and Josh Robertson).  

 Good question.  Seems like Jethro, his father-in-law and a priest of God,(but not clear if he was a believer in JHWH or like Melchizedek a believer in God most High) had a mixed relationship with Moses that also may have influenced his daughter and grandsons, that they were in and out of Moses' life as he led children of Israel.  There is no indication when (or why) Moses sent away his wife and son between Exodus 4 and Exodus 18.  It is very possible that they never go further than the lodging place along the way that is referenced in Exodus 4 and therefore they never actually went into Egypt. Possibly they traveled together part way to be together a bit more but Moses not wanting them in Egypt when everything was taking place in God working to redeem His people.  

Question #3:  "At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it. Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me," she said. So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said "bridegroom of blood", referring to circumcision."  Exodus 4:24-26  Why was the Lord going to kill Moses when he had just given him such detailed instructions for what he was to do?  What does this circumcision act by his wife have to do with anything?  This thoroughly confused me and seems to not fit with the rest of things (Answered by Keith Kinder).  

Moses' mission was a life-and-death mission that was to reclaim all Israel to true worship of God which included circumcision as a sign of that covenant.  Moses going to his people with a non-conforming son would have been a bad start.  Therefore it was Moses' wife who was able to discern God's displeasure at Moses and was able to act appropriately and circumcise her son.  


 As we move through this series please keep the questions coming!  You can ask questions on the connect card attached to your bulletin on Sunday's, by emailing me at joshrobetson52@gmail.com

We certainly don't have all the answers and at times will not be sure how to answer but seek the one who grants wisdom to help us understand what we can.  At the end of the day it is not about having greater knowledge, or to simply know more stuff, it is to know more by which we can continue together to strive to Exalt God's Name, Equip God's People, and Evangelize God's World in our homes, communities, and world.  

At our church we have begun a 42 week series where we will be doing an over-view of all of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation!  Throughout these 42 weeks we are encouraging the people at Bethel to follow the Bible reading plan which will bring us all through the whole Bible chronologically over the next 42 weeks!  Each week at Bethel the texts that we read during the week is what the sermon will be based on.  As a part of this series we are giving people opportunities to ask questions about what they are reading that they would like answered.  So every Thursday on this blog myself, alongside the elders, will seek to answer those questions the best we can!  So here we go for the questions we received on Genesis 1-11.  

Cover to Cover Q&A from Genesis12-36.

  At our church we have begun a 42 week series where we will be doing an over-view of all of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation!  Throughout these 42 weeks we are encouraging the people at Bethel to follow the Bible reading plan which will bring us all through the whole Bible chronologically over the next 42 weeks!  Each week at Bethel the texts that we read during the week is what the sermon will be based on.  As a part of this series we are giving people opportunities to ask questions about what they are reading that they would like answered.  So every Thursday on this blog myself, alongside the elders, will seek to answer those questions the best we can!  So here we go for the questions we received on Genesis 12-36. 

Question #1:  From Genesis 19... Why would Lot offer his virgin daughters up to the mob of men wishing to have sex with the visitors in his home? Were women simply not valued at all? Or was he so concerned that the Lord would then destroy the city (would Abraham have share that with him?) that he decided to sacrifice his daughters for the "greater good"? (Answered by Elder Dave Grave and elder canidate Cash Ujah)  

        Difficult question to answer because we are not given any narration commentary on what Lot did, we are simply told what He did.  There does not seem to be any indication that Abraham had shared with Lot what He knew was going to be coming.  So there are likely several factors at play here.  One would indeed be that at this point in time people did hold a low-view of women so that would have played into this scenario.  Secondly, is that there was also an extremely high view of hospitality and seeking to take care of ones visitors and guests.  So those two realities combined probably led Lot to respond the way that he did.  We should note that Scripture in no way condones, encourages, or states that what Lot did was right.  I think we can safely say that what we know about Scripture and God is that Lot did not make the right choice.  Thankfully by God's grace and provision Lot's daughters were not violated and God provided for the safety of all in Lot's home doing this event.  

Question #2:  Why in Genesis 12 was Pharaoh afflicted when he had taken Sarai into his house when it was Abram that lied about the identity of Sarai.  (Answered by Elder Dave Graves)    

         Judgment reflects the gravity of the sin of taking another man’s wife (see David and Bathsheba) which doesn't change simply because Pharaoh didn't know.  It also reflects the sovereignty of God and his commitment to keep his promise to Abraham to bless him. Even though Abram lied, not only was his life spared, he received an abundance of wealth from Pharaoh both before and after Sarai’s revelation of her true identity.  

 As we move through this series please keep the questions coming!  You can ask questions on the connect card attached to your bulletin on Sunday's, by emailing me at joshrobetson52@gmail.com

We certainly don't have all the answers and at times will not be sure how to answer but seek the one who grants wisdom to help us understand what we can.  At the end of the day it is not about having greater knowledge, or to simply know more stuff, it is to know more by which we can continue together to strive to Exalt God's Name, Equip God's People, and Evangelize God's World in our homes, communities, and world.  

Cover to Cover Q&A from the book of Job

       At our church we have begun a 42 week series where we will be doing an over-view of all of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation!  Throughout these 42 weeks we are encouraging the people at Bethel to follow the Bible reading plan which will bring us all through the whole Bible chronologically over the next 42 weeks!  Each week at Bethel the texts that we read during the week is what the sermon will be based on.  As a part of this series we are giving people opportunities to ask questions about what they are reading that they would like answered.  So every Thursday on this blog myself, alongside the elders, will seek to answer those questions the best we can!  So here we go for the questions we received on the book of Job.

Questions #1:  Does Satan still appear before God as he did in Job 1:6 and 2:1?  

      As I begin to answer this question want to say that much of what I am going to be writing was as a result of a Christopher Ash's commentary on the book of Job which is fantastic and I highly recommend.  Here is what we do know.  Outside of Job we have at least two other occasions in the OT that are similar to what we see here in Job.  Zechariah 3:1-3 states "Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of  the Lord, and Satan, standing at his right hand to accuse him.  And the Lord said to Satan, 'The Lord Rebuke you, O Satan!  The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebukes you!  Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?'  Now Joshua was standing before the anger, clothed with filthy garments."  The other place in the OT is in 2 Chronicles 18:18-21, "And Micaiah said, Therefore, hear the word of the Lord:  I saw the Lord sitting on his throne and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.  And the Lord said, who will entice Ahab the king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?   And one said one thing and another said another. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord saying, 'I will entice him.'  And the Lord said to him, 'By what means?'  And he said I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of the prophets.'  And he said, 'You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.'"
        What we see from these passages is that satan's primary role in this heavenly gatherings when he appears seems to be acting as the accuser.  To accuse the righteous before God.  This might also be going on in Luke 22:31, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, the he might sift you like wheat."  However, the question is does satan still appear before God in order to accuse the ones who by faith have trusted in Jesus Christ?  My best guess is, no.  He does not any longer come before God to accuse the Christian.  Why?  Because of the work that Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross to defeat Satan.  Revelation 12:7-12 seems to give this indication that satan's role is no longer accusing the believer before God but instead relegated to roaming the earth seeking whom he can destroy.  You see with Christ in perfect righteousness having defeated satan, sin, and death is now seated at the right hand of God.  We are told that when we trust in Christ alone for our salvation the righteousness of Christ is given to us and therefore there is no longer any accusation that satan can give against us because the perfect righteousness of Christ that has already defeated satan is ours!  That is good news for those who have trusted in Christ.

         Question #2:  Who are the sons of God that come before God in 1:6 and 2:1.  

       These sons of God would seem to be beings who are more powerful than man, but less powerful than God.  Likely to be what we often refer to as angels whom God sends to do His work.  

 As we move through this series please keep the questions coming!  You can ask questions on the connect card attached to your bulletin on Sunday's, by emailing me at joshrobetson52@gmail.com

We certainly don't have all the answers and at times will not be sure how to answer but seek the one who grants wisdom to help us understand what we can.  At the end of the day it is not about having greater knowledge, or to simply know more stuff, it is to know more by which we can continue together to strive to Exalt God's Name, Equip God's People, and Evangelize God's World in our homes, communities, and world.

Cover to Cover questions from Genesis 1-11

          At our church we have begun a 42 week series where we will be doing an over-view of all of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation!  Throughout these 42 weeks we are encouraging the people at Bethel to follow the Bible reading plan which will bring us all through the whole Bible chronologically over the next 42 weeks!  Each week at Bethel the texts that we read during the week is what the sermon will be based on.  As a part of this series we are giving people opportunities to ask questions about what they are reading that they would like answered.  So every Thursday on this blog myself, alongside the elders, will seek to answer those questions the best we can!  So here we go for the questions we received on Genesis 1-11.  

Question #1:  What does God mean by saying if you do well you will be accepted in Genesis 4:7?  (Answered by Cash Ujah:  Sunday school teacher and considering becoming an elder at Bethel).  

       The question is somewhat misleading. As we read the verse, according to ESV, “if you do well, will you not be accepted?” According to NIV, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?” According to KJV, If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?” Hence, rather than a statement that hinges on “well” as the operative word, it is more of a question posed by God to Cain regarding his attitude.  Therefore, God was not saying doing well (in health, in giving, in lifestyle), rather, doing well in God. The scripture leads us to believe that our worship and not “work-ship” is what God deserves. Thus, what is our attitude towards God? What is our attitude towards prayer? What is our attitude towards living in His word? If you do what is right (well), will you not be accepted?   In Philippians 4: 8, it concludes the verse by saying, according to ESV, ‘If there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.’ According to NIV, ‘If anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.’  What could embody truth, nobility, righteousness, pureness, loveliness, and admiration that we should think about other than in Him (our Father)?   Philippians 3: 7 – 10 “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ  and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—  that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,”

       God’s question to Cain, is more to Cain’s heart, his attitude, his focus, his resolute in God. Put differently to Cain, If you believe in Me (GOD) and doing what is acceptable and pleasing to Me (GOD), will your offering not be accepted? 

2.)  Genesis 1:26:  "Make man in our image" who is the "our" God referring to?  (Answered by Dave Graves:  Elder).  

 “Our” refers to the Trinity. All parts of the Godhead — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — have always existed. Numerous verses teach this. A couple of the more notable: John 1:14 — The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We have seen his glory. The glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  Colossians 1:15-20 — The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.   He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.   For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,  and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.  Other passages to consider would be Genesis 1:2 and John 1:1-5.  

3.)  How do I apply and understand the Bible?  How can I teach the Bible to my pre-school aged child?  (Answered by Josh Robertson).  

   
       The very quick answer is that we encourage people to use the COMA method of Bible Study.  COMA stands for Context, Observation, Meaning, and Application.  So you would read a given text using these four parts of Bible study.  Let's very briefly take Genesis chapter 4 as an example of this.  
       First, you would want to determine the context of Genesis 4.  You would ask questions such as where in the Bible is this chapter (first book of the Bible) how does it relate to other parts of the Bible (it tells us the beginning of how things came to be) what happened in the previous couple chapters (Genesis 1-2 tell us the story of creation, Genesis 3 tells us of the fall and immediate before this chapter they are sent out of the garden).  So that gives you a bit of an idea what you do with context.  You are trying to determine how the section of Scripture you are looking at ties into other sections around it and into the Bible as a whole.  In context you are also trying to determine who wrote the book, who was the book written to, what was life like for those receiving the book at that time, etc.  
       Next is observation.  This is pretty straightforward and fun part of COMA.  You are simply reading the text and writing down (or typing) what you are seeing.  So I would begin to note things such as:  Cain and Abel were Adam and Eve's kids, God rejected Cain's offering and Cain was upset about that. I would note that God tells Cain that sin is crouching at his door and its desire is to rule over Cain.  I would note the consequences given to Cain after he kills his brother.  I would notice that Cain had a son named Enoch.  I would note in the genealogy that there is an individual born in the line of Cain named Lamech who is rejoicing in killing two men and that his revenge should be greater than Cain's.  I would also note that Adam and Eve had another son named Seth.  That is just a glimpse of what observation would look like in chapter 4.  You are just observing and recording what you are seeing.  You are not interpreting things at this point, you are not trying to answer questions, you are simply trying to take in as much information as you can on the text you are studying. 
        Next is meaning.  After you have determined the context, made a bunch of observations, you are reading to begin to determine the meaning of the text.  What does it mean?  We could spend a lot of time on this one but for the sake of space here are at least two things I do in the meaning section.  First, I attempt to answer these three questions:  What does this passage teach me about God?  Second, what does this passage teach me about man and woman (humanity) and as result me.  Third, what does this passage teach (or foreshadow) about Jesus?  For example I would say that this passage teaches that even outside the garden God still expects us to honor him.  What it teaches about humanity is that humanity is deeply sinful outside of the garden and it impacts human relationships and our relationship with God.  What it teaches about Jesus- I would say this passage demonstrates the need for Jesus as it becomes clear how quickly sin begins to destroy people, families, and culture outside of the garden.  The second thing I do in meaning is I attempt to summarize the chapter in my own words in one sentence.  For Genesis 4 I might say, "The killing of Abel by his brother Cain demonstrates the ongoing ramifications of the fall."  
          Last is application:  Here is where we ask the so what question.  What does this mean for me?  Here are a few diagnostic questions you can ask the text that can help you draw out application:  Is there something in this text that I need to repent of?  Is there something that I need to worship God for?  Is there some attitude of mine that needs changing?  Do I need to change wrong ways that I had been thinking about God?  Does this passage have anything to say about how I ought to be loving God?  Loving Others?  Does it have implications for my family, friendships, work, parenting, marriage, etc?  As you ask those types of questions of the text you will see various aspects of application coming out of the text.  
         So that is a very, very, brief view of how to study the Bible. At Bethel towards the end of our current 10 week Sunday school class we will spend a couple weeks walking through this method together.  Also check out the "One to One Bible Reading Plan" by David Helm that builds this out nicely.  Another good resource is Dig Deeper by Nigel Beynon.  
        To answer the second part of the question the best thing to do for kids at a young age is read the Bible with them and talk to them about what you reading.  A great option would be using the "Jesus Story Bible" to do this with kids!  
        As we move through this series please keep the questions coming!  You can ask questions on the connect card attached to your bulletin on Sunday's, by emailing me at joshrobetson52@gmail.com
We certainly don't have all the answers and at times will not be sure how to answer but seek the one who grants wisdom to help us understand what we can.  At the end of the day it is not about having greater knowledge, or to simply know more stuff, it is to know more by which we can continue together to strive to Exalt God's Name, Equip God's People, and Evangelize God's World in our homes, communities, and world.

   

Prayer's of Paul reading plan day 9.

       As a church family at Bethel Baptist church in Brookings, SD we are spending the next two weeks reading through most of the prayers of Paul.  Each day I will share my thoughts and reflections on here the day after the reading.  The encouragement was that we would read the assigned passages, write down some observations about what we read, and use those prayers to help us in our prayers that day.  Tuesday's readings were 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, 2 Thessalonians 3:16.  

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort our hearts and establish them in every good work and word."  

       One of the common items that Paul prays for others is for comfort.  Here we see Paul praying that.  Notice the emphasis Paul puts on who is the one that is doing the comforting.  The one doing the comforting is the Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father.  How encouraging is that.  The one that Paul is praying would provide comfort is Jesus Christ and God our Father.  There is no greater person to receive comfort from.  Than Paul, before he actually prays for comfort, reminds us who this God is... The God who has loved us and already has given us an eternal comfort.  In Christ we already have a comfort that is secure for all eternity and can never be taken away from us.  That truth should be a source of comfort.  After this Paul gets to praying for comfort and he prays that God would comfort our hearts and establish our hearts.  When the Bible speaks of the "heart" it is typically referring to the center or core of a person's desires, will, motivation, and emotions.  So it makes sense that Paul is praying for comfort for our hearts- for our emotions, our desires, our will.  But Paul doesn't just want us to receive comfort he also wants our hearts to be established in every good work and word.  Comfort is not just for the sake of feeling comforted.  We are comforted so that we can continue to live out the life that Christ has called us to live and comfort others as God has comforted us.  Who in your life needs prayers of comfort?  Use this prayer to pray for them today. 
 

2 Thessalonians 3:16

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way.  The Lord be with you all."  

       Peace is the absence of conflict and turmoil.  To get a picture of peace think of a large body of water on a windy day-  that is the opposite of peace.  Next think of a large body of water on a perfectly calm summer evening- that is peace.  Paul here prays to the God of peace to give peace at all time and in every way.  This is an all-inclusive prayer that Paul is praying.  He wants the believers to experience peace in all situations and in every conceivable way one can experience and feel that peace.  What a great prayer!  Notice how Paul ends the prayer as it gives us an indication of how we can experience peace at all times and in every way.  He prays asking that the Lord be with you all.  It is God being with us by which we can experience peace.  The glorious truth that God is with us at all times means that peace is available to us at all times because He who is with us is the God of peace!  Who in your life is going through times of frustration and difficulty?  Who in your life is going through a season of turmoil?  Pray to the God of peace to give them peace at all times and in every way as the God of peace promises to be with them.  

What are you learning as we continue going through the prayers of Paul together?  

Prayer's of Paul reading plan day 8.

As a church family at Bethel Baptist church in Brookings, SD we are spending the next two weeks reading through most of the prayers of Paul.  Each day I will share my thoughts and reflections on here the day after the reading.  The encouragement was that we would read the assigned passages, write down some observations about what we read, and use those prayers to help us in our prayers that day.  Monday's readings were 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, 2 Thessalonians 1:3, 
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

"Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, and soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it."  

       God here is described as the God of peace and Paul prays to the God of peace for two things.  First, he prays that the God of peace would sanctify them completely.  Sanctify is a word that is not very common today but we could simply say that Paul is praying that they would become like Jesus in every way.  A big prayer indeed, but an important prayer.  We ought to be regularly praying that our brothers and sisters in Christ would be more like Jesus in every aspect of their life.  Secondly, Paul prays that they their whole spirit, soul, and body would be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Paul is praying that when Jesus Christ returns that the believers would be blameless and therefore able to enter into the presence of God.  Paul prays this with complete confidence as is seen in how he concludes his prayer... "He who calls you is faithful, he will surely do it."  Why is Paul able to pray with such confidence?  Since what He prays for is already done because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.  Our blamelessness is already complete if we are in Christ because God looks upon us and sees the perfection of Christ.  So in this prayer Paul is praying that we would become more like Jesus in our day to day life and prays with full confidence that we will be blameless at the coming of Christ.  

2 Thessalonians 1:3

"We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing."  

       Here we read one of Paul's prayers of thanksgiving and as is typical with many of his prayers of thanksgiving he thanks God for the work that He is doing in the lives of others.  There are two specific things he thanks God for in this prayer.  He thanks God that their faith is growing and he thanks God that their love for one another is increasing!  Do you have people in your life whose faith and love are growing?  Have you seen your faith and love growing?  If yes, praise and thank God for that because those are things that only God can do in us!  

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."  

       Here Paul prays that the believers would live lives worthy of God's calling on there life.  What an important prayer that we can be praying for one another.  Too often we forget to whom we belong. We forget who are Father is.  We forget that we belong to the God of the universe.  Paul, here is praying that they wouldn't forget that and by remembering who we belong to that we would live a life worthy of belonging to God.  Why?  So that God would be glorified!  So let's pray today that you and I, and our brothers and sisters in Christ would walk more in a way that is worthy of the one who called us because as we do that Jesus Christ is glorified and exalted!  

What are you learning?  

Prayer's of Paul reading plan: Day 7

As a church family at Bethel Baptist church in Brookings, SD we are spending the next two weeks reading through most of the prayers of Paul.  Each day I will share my thoughts and reflections on here the day after the reading.  The encouragement was that we would read the assigned passages, write down some observations about what we read, and use those prayers to help us in our prayers that day.  Sunday's readings were Colossians 4:2-4, Colossians 1:9-13.

Colossians 4:2-4

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.  At the same time pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison- that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak."  

       After Paul gives the command and admonishment for the believer to pray steadfastly and to be watchful in prayer with thanksgiving he asks that they would pray for him.  As is typical when Paul asks other to pray for him the primary request is that they he would be bold and clear in proclaiming the Gospel.  Paul here seems to be primarily focused on being given opportunities to proclaim the mystery of Christ, and when given the opportunity that his words would be clear and that he would speak as he ought to speak.  A prayer that we should all be praying for ourselves and for our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Are you praying for opportunities for you and others to tell people about Jesus? Are you praying for you and others that when those opportunities arise that Jesus would be shared clearly as we ought to speak?  Spend some time praying for that right now.  

Colossians 1:9-13

"And so, from that 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.  May you be strengthen 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 believed Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."  

       This is another prayer that is packed full.  I am going to simply list out what Paul prays for in this passage and would encourage you to pray for each of these things for those that God brings to mind, and along with Paul we will finish with praising God for what He has done.  

       -He prays that they would be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.  Notice the result of knowing God's will-  They will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, they will be fully pleasing to God, and will be bearing fruit in every good work!  WOW!  All of that is the result of being filled with he knowledge of God's will!  Let's be praying for that for one another!  

       -He prays that they would be strengthened.  

       -He prays that they would have endurance. 

       -He prays that they would have patience with joy.  What a great (and rare) combination. Be joyful in waiting patiently.  

       -He prays that they would be giving thanks, and finishes the prayer by giving thanks and praise to God for two things. 

               1.)  That we get to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.  

               2.)  That we have been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the 

               kingdom of his beloved son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins!   Praise 

               God indeed for this great truth!  

Many things to pray about and for in this passage.  

So what are you learning?  What are you praying for?