Colossians 1:1-12

The Voice

1 Paul, an emissary^[a] of Jesus the Anointed serving at God’s pleasure, along with our brother Timothy ²to you, dear holy and faithful brothers and sisters in the family of the Anointed who live in Colossae. May grace and peace from God our Father [and the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One]^[b] envelop you.

³As always, we’ve been praying for you, thanking God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Anointed, ⁴ever since we heard of your faith in Jesus the Anointed and your love for His holy ones— ⁵a faith and love that emerge from the hope you have heard about in the word of truth—the gospel—the very hope that awaits you in heaven. ^6-7The same gospel that was brought to you is growing and bearing fruit all over the world, just as it has been growing among you since the day you heard and took in the truth of God’s grace from our beloved fellow servant Epaphras. (He is a faithful minister of the Anointed on our^[c] behalf.) ⁸He was the one who told us how you demonstrate your love in the power of the Spirit. ⁹Since the day we got this good news about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We ask:

This is a prayer for knowledge and insight that only can come from God.

Father, may they clearly know Your will and achieve the height and depth of spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰May their lives be a credit to You, Lord; and what’s more, may they continue to delight You by doing every good work and growing in the true knowledge that comes from being close to You. ¹¹Strengthen them with Your infinite power, according to Your glorious might, so that they will have everything they need to hold on and endure hardship patiently and joyfully. ¹²Thank You, Father, as You have made us^[d] eligible to receive our portion of the inheritance given to all those set apart by the light.