“Never sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate.”

Colossians 1:10—THAT ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

In the high understanding given Paul of Kingdom mysteries, he always came around to how we live among others.  He spoke of this as our walk.  This month's prayer calls for our walk to become worthy of the Lord.  The way we live before others reflects our relationship with Him and determines whether we bring honor to Him.  Worthy is from the Greek word, áxios, a word of honor.  It means to have nothing in one's conduct or character that will bring dishonor to the Name of the Lord.

Paul frequently called this outward expression of faith our walk.  Passages from his Epistles speaking of the walk of a believer become good points for praying.  They lead to the working of honor into our own lives as well as in those we hold before the Lord in prayer.

The first point to be settled regarding the way we live, or walk, comes out of Romans 6:4, where Paul relates our walk to the Resurrection of Christ.  He said that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  Our relationship with the living Christ can become so close that the power of His resurrection will come over on the way we live.  We are holding ourselves, and others, before Him as this becomes reality in our daily living.

1. Romans 13:13, he said, Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.  This calls for a break with all deceit and wild living.
2. II Corinthians 4:2, Paul spoke further of renouncing the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness (the cunning trickery of a dishonest person ready to do anything for his own profit), nor handling the Word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.  This means allowing our lives to be open and honest for the examination of anyone.
3. II Corinthians 5:7, he said, For we walk by faith, not by sight.  This is a walk of close and unbroken fellowship with the Lord, even over a rough path where many of the steps cannot be discerned.
4. Galatians 5:16, he said, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.  This calls for the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in our day by day lives.  Intercessors move in this and draw others with them.
5. Ephesians, Paul said much about the walk that comes out of a relationship with the living Christ.  The following passages are good checkpoints for our lives as believers and prayer points for intercessors.  We paraphrase each passage. 
6. Ephesians 4:1—Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, “Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called.”  Conduct the daily affairs of your life in a manner that gives honor to your calling in Christ.
7. Ephesians 4:17—Walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Do not conduct the affairs of your life like people who know not Christ. 
8. Ephesians 5:2—Walk in love.  Carry on in your relationships with others in a way that puts them first just as Christ put you first.
9. Ephesians 5:8—Walk as children of light.  Let your manner of life be completely free of dark and shady dealings. 
10. Ephesians 5:15—Walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.  Give careful attention to your personal life, especially with regard to your spouse, your children, and your employment. 
11. Colossians 4:5—Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

Going back to our prayer from Colossians 1:10, we find that our walk is to be worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing.  Pleasing is from the Greek word, areskía, a word describing the quality of someone who does everything for the pleasure of someone else.  It describes a slave serving his master, doing everything in a way that is pleasing and with absolute submission to what the master wants.

Colossians 1:10 is the only verse using areskía, but Romans 15:1-3 has a word similar in meaning.  From this passage we find what it means for a believer to demonstrate this “pleasing” quality. 

Romans 15:1-3 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself.

When the above quality works in us, it does not take away our right to be free persons.  Instead, it brings us into line with what is right and proper for a believer living in close relationship with the Lord Jesus.  There is no bondage, only perfect freedom.

When the parts of a well-made machine are put together according to the directions of the maker, it runs well and is pleasing to its maker.  When the Holy Spirit does a similar thing with our lives, working the quality of areskía, into us, we become pleasing to our Maker.  What a joyful direction the above passages bring to those who pray!

Next, we consider becoming fruitful in every good work.  The Lord Jesus spoke often of fruit in the lives of His disciples.  In His parable of the soils in Matthew 13:3-23 and Luke 8:4-15), He told what will hinder the bearing of fruit.  These scriptures are clear and provide some good points for prayer.  Note carefully in Matthew 13:19, it is the Word of the Kingdom, when planted as a seed in the good soil of a heart that produces good fruit.

Souls overcome by the distractions of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of the flesh, seldom bear fruit (Mark 4:19).  It is here that people who pray can find much fertile soil for their spirits as they hold both themselves and others before the Throne of God's grace.

It was in this month of November that Glenda and I were dealing with the fact that she had been diagnosed with cancer.  We were apart for a few days during this time, but my intercession for her increased.  Through it all—even in dealing with the emotional drain that tried to come—I felt I was to stick right to the prayer that comes out of Colossians 1:10.  I wanted what she was going through—and the way we handled it—to be worthy of the Lord.

I wanted the time both of us might be called aside because of the trial to be a time of bearing fruit in every good work.  You can know very well that what Jesus said in John 15:2 became very real in our thinking and understanding.  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Most of all—maybe because I was hurting for her—I wanted her to increase in her knowledge of God, as this month's main prayer from Colossians 1:10 was directing us to pray.  I prayed that very thing for her and saw the remarkable answer of the Lord.

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