Colossians 2 Guided Prayer 5.3.09 by Kelly Kang (Gracepoint Fellowship Church – Berkeley):

1I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Reflect on the fact that Apostle Paul takes his role in the lives of those in Colosse and Laodicea very seriously.  Pray for those that you need to struggle for so that they “may be encouraged in heart and united in love.”

Are you facing some situation in your life where you really need to see the “treasures of [God’s] wisdom and knowledge?”  Pray that you will see his “wisdom and knowledge”  in that situation so that you can respond properly.

4I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.  6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

Pray about the ways that you might be deceived by “fine-sounding arguments” from the media, from the internet,  from “human tradition,” worldly wisdom,  from people who do not acknowledge Christ as the LORD of their life.

Spend time affirming the truths that you confessed about Christ, yourself, and the important things in your life when you received Jesus Christ as LORD.

Commit to continue to live in obedience to the truth rather than your feelings or hollow and deceptive philosophies of this world.

Are you or others going through some difficulty?  Pray that you (or they) will be “strengthened in the faith” as you (or they) have been taught by God’s word so that regardless of the circumstance, you (or they) can still be “overflowing with thankfulness.”

Pray for yourself and for others to be “rooted and built up” in Christ, “strengthened in the faith,” and “overflowing thankfulness.”  Pray for patience and love as you have opportunities to struggle with others to come to a better understanding of Christ.

Pray for people who are deceived by “hollow and deceptive philosophy” and as a result are being distracted from investigating the claims of Christ over their lives.

13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Thank God for the fact that you are “alive and well”  because of what Jesus did on the cross.
“I’m forgiven because you were forsaken
I’m accepted, You were condemned
I’m alive and well, Your Spirit is with me
Because You died and rose Again.”

Thank God for the fact that “Christ has regarded your helpless estate and hath shed His own blood for [your] soul”  All “that was against [you] and  that stood opposed to [you]” is no more.  He took it away and has nailed it to the cross to that you don’t have bear it no more.  Surrender all of your regrets, all that causes you to be horrified and filled with sense of shame about and claim God’s forgiveness, his complete cleansing.  He has cancelled all that is written against you.

“Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!”

Pray for this good news of the gospel to overflow out of your life to touch others.  Pray that this good news will never get old and that you will not grow tired of sharing this good news.