Praying Colossians 3

Sometimes when I am particularly weary and worn, I feel like I don’t even know how to pray anymore. So I am reminded to turn to Scripture and pray back these words to our Father. Like today, turning Colossians 3 into a personal prayer:

My Father in Heaven, cause me to hallow Your name. Bend low to your maidservant and fill me with Your Spirit.

I have been raised with Christ Your Son: cause me to seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at Your right hand. Cause my mind to focus on things that are above, and not on things that are here on earth. I have died to myself and my fleshly lusts, and my life is hidden with Christ in You. Christ is my life—make Him more and more my all—and when He appears, then I also will appear with Him in glory.

Therefore, enable me to put to death what is earthly in me: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the idolatry of covetousness. Convict me and purge me of these things, for because of these, Your wrath is coming. I was a child raised in the covenant, so I did not walk and live in these things, but they are part of my sin nature, and I must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk. Control my tongue so that I do not lie, since I have put off my sinful self and practices, being clothed in Christ, and being renewed in knowledge after the image of You, the Creator. I know that there are no differences in Your people, but Your Son Christ is all, and in all. Your Son is in me.

I am Your chosen one, I am holy and beloved in Your sight! Give me strength and solidarity of heart to put on a compassionate heart, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Enable me to bear with others You have placed around me. Give me forgiveness, for You have forgiven me and I must forgive as You have.

Above all, clothe me with love, and use that love to bind everything else together in perfect harmony. Let Christ’s indescribable peace rule in my heart, for I have been called to it. Make me thankful.

Let the words of Christ dwell richly in me, and give me words to teach and admonish others in Your wisdom, while giving me grace to be taught and admonished in Your wisdom as well. Give me the beauty of music, and fill me with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, so that I will overflow with thankfulness in my heart to You.

Whatever You call me to do, in words and deeds, cause me to do it all in the name of my Lord Jesus, and make me give thanks to You for all things through Him.

As a Christian wife, give me joyful submission to my husband. Make me thankful for my loving husband who is not harsh with me, and give him the grace to continue bearing with me in love and gentleness. Grow my honor towards my parents so that I may please the Lord, and be a good witness to my son. Give my son an obedient heart in everything so that he may be a pleasing covenant son to You. Restrain my husband and me from provoking our son, so that we do not discourage him; but train us to encourage, nurture, disciple, and discipline him according to Your tender mercies. Give us obedience and dedication to those who are over us, in jobs and church and government. Do not allow us to give way to eye-service as people-pleasers, but give us sincerity towards our overseers, because we fear You.

Give us joy and strength to work heartily, and renew our passion in our tasks so that we will give You our best work. Keep Yourself in the forefront of our minds, as we work for You and not for men, for we know that You will leave us a beautiful inheritance and reward. We serve Christ! There is no partiality with You, our God, and Your justice will rain down on the wrongdoer for wrongs we have done.

Be gracious and merciful, my Father in heaven. Hear my prayer and attend to my cries.
In the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, through the power of Your Holy Spirit, Amen.