God's Will and Prayer (Colossians 1:9)

As a relevant aside, fully understanding God's will concerning a situation is a requirement for effective prayer. Confidence in prayer comes from knowing that we are praying for what God wants to happen. Scripture teaches that if we pray for anything according to His will then we will have what we ask for (1 John 5:14-15). Prayer is ineffective when it void of wisdom and understanding of God's will.

Prayer (Colossians 1:9)

Paul begins his letter to the Colossians by revealing his consistent prayer for them. This makes it perfectly clear what Paul is expecting God to do in their lives and what they should be expecting as well. Telling others specifically how we are praying for them can be a great encouragement. This prayer also stands as an excellent example of how we should pray for each other.

We are actually commanded to pray for each other. "[Pray] always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (Eph. 6:18). We are not to pray sporadically but "always" and with "perseverance". We must not sleep on the job like the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36-46). They failed to pray for Jesus when He needed them most. Lets not fail each other in our times of great need.