Thanksgiving and prayer

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people – the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world – just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant,[a] who is a faithful minister of Christ on our[b] behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[c] 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[d] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

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Footnotes

  1. Colossians 1:7 Or slave
  2. Colossians 1:7 Some manuscripts your
  3. Colossians 1:9 Or all spiritual wisdom and understanding
  4. Colossians 1:12 Some manuscripts us

Thanksgiving and Prayer

We always thank God,(A) the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love(B) you have for all God’s people(C) the faith and love that spring from the hope(D) stored up for you in heaven(E) and about which you have already heard in the true message(F) of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit(G) and growing throughout the whole world(H)—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. You learned it from Epaphras,(I) our dear fellow servant,[a] who is a faithful minister(J) of Christ on our[b] behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.(K)

For this reason, since the day we heard about you,(L) we have not stopped praying for you.(M) We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will(N) through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[c](O) 10 so that you may live a life worthy(P) of the Lord and please him(Q) in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,(R) 11 being strengthened with all power(S) according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,(T) 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father,(U) who has qualified you[d] to share in the inheritance(V) of his holy people in the kingdom of light.(W) 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness(X) and brought us into the kingdom(Y) of the Son he loves,(Z) 14 in whom we have redemption,(AA) the forgiveness of sins.(AB)

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Footnotes

  1. Colossians 1:7 Or slave
  2. Colossians 1:7 Some manuscripts your
  3. Colossians 1:9 Or all spiritual wisdom and understanding
  4. Colossians 1:12 Some manuscripts us

Jesus prays for his disciples

‘I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of[b] your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by[c] that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

13 ‘I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by[d] the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

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Footnotes

  1. John 17:6 Greek your name
  2. John 17:11 Or Father, keep them faithful to
  3. John 17:12 Or kept them faithful to
  4. John 17:17 Or them to live in accordance with

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

“I have revealed you[a](A) to those whom you gave me(B) out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me(C) and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you,(D) and they believed that you sent me.(E) I pray for them.(F) I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me,(G) for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine.(H) And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world,(I) and I am coming to you.(J) Holy Father, protect them by the power of[b] your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one(K) as we are one.(L) 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by[c] that name you gave me. None has been lost(M) except the one doomed to destruction(N) so that Scripture would be fulfilled.(O)

13 “I am coming to you now,(P) but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy(Q) within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them,(R) for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.(S) 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.(T) 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.(U) 17 Sanctify them by[d] the truth; your word is truth.(V) 18 As you sent me into the world,(W) I have sent them into the world.(X) 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.(Y)

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Footnotes

  1. John 17:6 Greek your name
  2. John 17:11 Or Father, keep them faithful to
  3. John 17:12 Or kept them faithful to
  4. John 17:17 Or them to live in accordance with