Discovery Bible Study: What I Discovered!

Since I’ve been posting about the discovery bible study method, I thought I’d share the results of my study on Colossians 1:9-12. I was asking God about prayer. I know how to talk to God and listen to Him, but I have a lot of questions. He told me to study the prayers in the bible and that I’d find my answer. I’d recently memorized this one, so I used it first:

For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God.

May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. (Col 1:9-12 HCSB)

I’m studying alone, so I did the Three Column Bible Study. Since I don’t know how to make three columns in my blog, I’m going to post the sections consecutively instead. In the first “column” (above), I copied down the prayer. If the passage has introductory material you’re not planning to study, you can skip writing it out, though you should still read it.

The next thing is to paraphrase your passage; put it into your own words. Since this is my personal bible study, I added some  things that I know from elsewhere in the bible and from my study of some of the words. If you’re with a group, it’s better not to do that. People feel inadequate if they see you as knowing more than they do, and they won’t feel they can do a study on their own. I don’t have to worry about you guys, though, and since this is what I wrote, I’m going to post it as-is.

I’m praying for you, that God will show you what He wants you to do in each situation so that you may act according to His wisdom, understanding the whole picture because you comprehend what is really happening on a spiritual level.

This will enable you to live in a manner that is fitting for His children to live before Him, as well as in the sight of the world — including the natural world and the opposing spiritual powers of this present age. He will be well pleased with you when you live in a way that glorifies Him by displaying His Son to all the world.

I am asking that you will grow in true knowledge of Him. As you walk united with Him, being led and governed by His wisdom, and enlightened by His spiritual understanding, your intimate knowledge of Him will mature.

May you be strengthened — not by natural resolve, but supernaturally — with all power — for He IS all power. His revelation is mighty — just seeing His power will give you all patience and endurance in your trials so that you may suffer joyfully, giving thanks always to the Father. He has enabled you; He has opened the eyes of your understanding; ripped away the veil of your flesh, so that you may now share in the inheritance of the saints (which inheritance is Jesus) in the light. No longer are you in the dark concerning this, but you have the light of life.

That’s my understanding as I read this passage. If you disagree with me or if you don’t understand something I’ve written, that’s okay. You can write your own interpretation, which is what a paraphrase is, in any case. The third column is the analysis of the passage; what does this tell us about God? About humans? Who do I know who needs to know what I’ve learned here? What will I do as a result of learning this? (How will I “obey” the passage?) Here’s what I wrote (well, most of it).

What does this tell me about God? About people?

He will show us what to do in our daily lives if we ask.
He will give us wisdom; we don’t have to rely on our own wisdom.
He will give us spiritual understanding; we can comprehend the situation in spiritual    realms with regard to our daily lives.
We can be pleasing to Him when we use these resources which He’s provided for us.

We can live lives worthy of Him.

Our good works can be fruitful. (What does it mean fruitful? In souls? In fruit of the Spirit? Are the good works themselves the fruit?)
We can mature in our knowledge of Him. (Does that mean maybe that walking in these things will help us to mature?)
He will strengthen us supernaturally. We don’t have to rely on our own natural strength to get us through trials.
His revealed might (His glorious might) will enable us to endure trials patiently and even joyfully.
We can live in gratitude to the Father because He has enabled us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. (Jesus and our relationship with and in Him is that inheritance.)

Is there a Sin here to avoid?

Walking in our own strength.
Eating from the wrong tree (of the knowledge of good and evil). He is our source of true knowledge and wisdom.

Does the passage contain Prayers? Praises? Promises?

It is a wonderful prayer to pray for fellow believers (saints).
We can praise God for making us able to partake of the saints’ inheritance in the light.
I think the whole prayer is a promise. Paul would not have prayed it if it were not God’s will revealed to him.

Is there an Example to follow?

We can follow this as an example of one way to pray for believers.

Is there a Commandment to obey?

There is an implied command: to walk in God’s power and His direction, wisdom, spiritual discernment and to remember our great blessing of Christ Jesus and give thanks for Him.

Do we gain any Knowledge of God by reading this?

We see that He is our source for everything we need in order to walk worthy of Him.

I put down a few names of people to share this with, which I won’t include here.
The last step is very important; don’t forget it. My I Will statement, directed toward the Father, is: I will pray this prayer daily, from my heart, for the people I plan to share it with for at least this coming week, and for as long as You lead me to continue.

I concluded by doing my “I Will” statement, and also asking God to help me.

So there you are — now you try it!

Blessings, Cindy