"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of The Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to The Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." Colossians 1:9-12 (NIV)
The Apostle Paul is letting the Christians in Colossae know that he is praying for them. He appreciates the good work that they have done and prays that they will continue, and grow in knowledge, and bear good fruit, and be strengthened with His power to endure what is ahead.
It is not just the preachers that work for The Lord, but every beliver has a job to do for God. He has to prepare us before He can use us to work for His glory. That preparation can sometimes be painful and unpleasant, but it is for our benefit. No matter how much we know, or think that we know, we all need to grow in spiritual knowledge and holiness. We need to be strengthened with His power to produce good fruit and to withstand the storms of life that are to come. According to John MacArthur, the good fruit we need to produce includes leading people to Christ (1 Cor 16:15), praising God (Heb 13:15), giving money (Rom 15:26-28), living a Godly life (Heb 12:11), and displaying holy attitudes (Gal 5:22-23). Thomas Nelson states that endurance and patience are necessary for our persevering through the storms, problems, trials, and tribulations that are to come, along with forebearing the faults and offences of others.
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