Father, we pray and confess Your Word over the Body of Christ. We pray that they be filled with the full (deep and clear) knowledge of Your Will in all spiritual wisdom- that is, in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things; that they walk- live an dconduct themselves in a manner worthy of You, Lord, fully pleasing to You and desiring to please You in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by knowledge of You- with fuller, deeper and clearer insight, acquaintance and recognition.

we pray that the Body of Christ will be invigorated and strenghtened with all power, according to the might of Your glory, to exercise every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy, giving thanks to You, Father, who has qualified and made them fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God's holy people) in the Light. You, father, have delivered and drawn them to Yourself out of the control and dominion of darkness and have transferred them into the kingdom of the Son of Your love, in whom they have their redemption through His blood, which means the remission of their sins.

Father, You delight at the sight of the Body of Christ standing shoulder to shoulder in such orderly array and the firmness and the solid front and steadfastness of their faith in Christ- the leaning of the entire human personality on Him in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness. They walk- regulate their lives and conduct themselves- in union with and conformity to Him, having the roots of their being firmly and deeply planted in Him- fixed and founded in Him- being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith.

Your people, Father, clothe themselves as Your own picked representatives, Your chosen ones, who are purified and holy and well-beloved by You by putting on behavior marked by tender-hearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, gentle ways and patience- which is tireless, long-suffering and have the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper. They are gentle and forbearing with each other and, if they have a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as You Lord have freely forgiven them, so do they also forgive.

Your people put on love and enfold themselves with the bond of perfectness- which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony. They let the peace from Jesus act as umpire continually in their hearts- deciding and settling with all finality all the questions that arise in their minds- in that peaceful state to which they are called. They are thankful and appreciative, giving praise to You always.

The Body of Christ lets the Word spoken by Christ the Messiah have it's home in their hearts and minds ans dwell in them an all richness, as they teach, admonish, and train each other in all insight, intelligence, and wisdom in spiritual songs, making melody to You, father, with Your grace in their hearts.

And whatever they do in word or deed, they do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in dependence upon His person, giving praise to You, father, through Him!


SCRIPTURE REFERENCES


Colossians 1:9-14
Colossians 2:5-7
Colossians 3:12-17