Title: Promise and Prayer
First, look at the structure of the text; Paul prays.
1) So that you will be filled with the knowledge of God's will
(1) by all divine wisdom and understanding (means; methods)
2) (As a result) that you may walk worthy of the Lord, that you may be pleasing in all things
(a life worthy of the Lord) (1) making it bear fruit in every good work,
(2) Growing in the knowledge of God
(3) Strengthen with joy all patience and long-suffering,
according to the power of its glory, with all power (means)
(4) giving thanks to the Father
All verbs are action verbs, and the subject of the verb is God. God “make you” (v. 9); Paul believes and prays that he “makes us” (verse 12) do these things.
Brothers and sisters, we too must live worthy of the Lord. Then how?
to walk worthy of the Lord
1. We must believe in these promises of God.
(1) With the wisdom and understanding of the Holy Spirit, He fills us with the knowledge of the will of God (verse 9).
(2) He makes us bear fruit in every good work (verse 10).
(3) To grow in the knowledge of God (verse 10)
(4) With the help of the Holy Spirit, He gives us all the power to overcome hardships (verse 11)
(5) He gives thanks to the Father, who has already given him the right to receive his share of the inheritance of the saints now (verse 12).
2. We must continue to pray for these things and intercede for one another.
“But ask in faith, and do not doubt at all. The one who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. Do not expect such a person to receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:6-7).
“This is the boldness we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
And if we know that he hears anything we ask, we also know that we have what we ask of him” (1 John 5:14-15).