“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;”

Colossians 1:9

Father, I ask you to open our eyes to see and our ears to hear as You would have us see and hear. Please bind Satan from stealing away or hindering the going forth of Your word and it’s effectiveness. Amen!

Did you know that it is possible to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will? And the reason we are not is because we are filled with the knowledge of our own will instead. The main thing that hinders us from knowing God’s will and being filled with the knowledge of His will, is being all too familiar with knowing our own. From the time we are born we know what we want and we go after it, and unless we begin to give our ear to Another’s voice, our life will be filled with pursuing and being filled with the knowledge of our own will. And we will manifest natural wisdom and understanding.

It is the mercy of God that our eyes are opened and we see that there is a will beyond our own – And it’s His mercy to open our eyes to see that it is not just His will for my life, it is HIS WILL. God’s will for my life is what many young Christians want to know. But this still falls short, this still has self as the one on the throne. As we grow-up into Christ, He must grant us to see that all that matters, and all that I should be filled with is knowing HIS will. In looking for and seeking after His will, in hindsight we will see what God’s will was for my life. When we lose our will in seeking His, we will find we gain our true will, because God purpose from the beginning was that our will would be one with His.

The word knowledge in this verse is such a deep and profound word in the Greek – and we miss it’s true meaning by our English word knowledge. In the Greek it is epignosis, which means to recognize. And it comes from the word epignosko meaning to become fully aquatinted with. So we could paraphrase our verse this way “…to ask that you be filled with recognizing or being fully acquainted with God’s will…” It is experiential or interactive knowledge. Not simply knowing about someone, but knowing them personally; having a relationship with them.

So how are we filled with knowing God’s will? Good question! As I spend time with my husband and listen to him, I know his will. Knowing him IS to know his will. In the same way, as we spend time with our heavenly Lord, listening and meditating on His word we will know Him and be filled with knowing His will.

There is a wonderful verse in Proverbs 9 that says “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” As we are knowing the Lord through receiving His word into our heart and soul, we will have understanding.

When we are filled with the knowledge of our own will, we will have a wisdom and understanding, but is will be earthly, natural and demonic. This is how James says it “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.” James 3:14-15

Being filled with knowing our own will (selfish ambition) will only and always lead to disorder and every evil thing. Seeking to know God’s will for my life will also lead to disorder and every evil thing, because that is actually seeking my own will, and just throwing God into the mix to make it look and seem good. That is trying to serve two masters, and there is always disorder in seeking to serve two masters.

My dear friends, know that you are right now filled with knowing someone’s will. Is it God’s or is it your own? And, oh, beware my friends of the great darkness of seeking to know God’s will for your life, as it will blind you and keep you from the true and great treasure of knowing God and knowing HIS will!

My prayer for you is that you would be filled with knowing God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Katie H