Colossians 1:9-23 - Prayer For Maturity Based On Christ's Preeminence
9 Therefore we, from the day on which we heard, do not cease praying for you, and asking that you may be filled with the perfect knowledge of his will in all wisdom, and spiritual understanding, 10 that you may walk worthily of the Lord in all loyalty, in every good work bearing fruit, and increasing in the perfect knowledge of God. 11 being impowered with all power, according to the might of his glory, in all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has made us worthy unto a participation of the inheritance of the saints in light; 13 who delivered us from the power of darkness, and transplanted us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; 14 in whom we have redemption, the remission of sins:
15 who is the image of the invisible God, being the first begotten of all creation, 16 because in him all things are created, in the heavens and upon the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All things were created by him, and unto him; 17 and he before all things, and all things consist in him: 18 and himself is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first begotten from the dead, in order that in all things himself may be preeminent: 19 because in him all fulness is pleased to dwell; 20 and through him, to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross: through him, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens.
21 And you, being at one time aliens and enemies in your minds on account of wicked works, nevertheless he has now reconciled 22 in the body of his cross through death, to present you holy and blameless and unreprovable before him, 23 if you abide in the faith, having been grounded and firm, and not moved from the hope of the gospel which you have heard, having been preached in all creation which is under heaven; whose minister I Paul became.