Mature Prayer

By Troy Pomeroy

Jesus taught us to judge a tree by its fruit (see Luke 6:43-44). Spiritual maturity is one of the indicators as to whether a man or woman is not only saved, but is also truly following Christ in their daily life.

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul offered a prayer for the church (see Col. 1: 9-12). In that prayer, he prays for their spiritual maturity. It is interesting that he did not pray for health, though there had to be people who were sick. He did not pray for wealth or financial blessing, though there were sure to be the poor among them. Likewise, Paul did not pray for fame, success, the growth of the church, deliverance from problems or persecutions, mended relationships, protection from enemies, or any of the things we would normally think about when we pray. Paul instead prayed for spiritual growth, or spiritual maturity, among the believers.

Specifically, Paul prayed for four things for the saints at Colossae:

1. That they be filled with the knowledge of His will (v.9)
2. That they walk in a manner that is worthy of the Lord (v.10)
3. That they be strengthened in God’s power (v.11)
4. That they have steadfastness and patience (v.11)

We can see God’s heart in Paul’s prayer for the church. It appears that God is more interested in our character than our comfort. We can apply Paul’s prayer to any situation we are in. It probably isn’t the way we would normally pray, but it serves as a model prayer no matter where we are in our walk with Him.

Paul’s desire for the saints that he loved was that they hold onto their faith and develop a maturity in Christ. This is something we can all grow in. It is a sign of maturity when we seek His will instead of our own. After all, Jesus himself taught us to pray that way: “yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42); “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

If we believe that God is all-knowing, that His will is perfect, and that His plan for us is always good, then it only makes sense that we pray for His will, rather than a specific outcome. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask God for what we think is best. But as we grow in maturity, we realize we don’t always know what is best. Fortunately, God does know what is best.

We show maturity when we trust God to direct our lives, rather than trying to get Him to go along with our plans. For every situation, we can pray that we know His will, live in a way that pleases Him, are filled with His power, and demonstrate steadfastness and patience.

Troy Pomeroy writes from Eagle Point, Oregon. troy_pomeroy@yahoo.com