Paul’s prayer for the church at Colossae is an example of what God desires to do in every believer’s life. Although the Lord wants to hear about our physical and material concerns, we should also bring our spiritual needs to Him, as the apostle does in Colossians 1:9-14. He prays for: 

• The Knowledge of God’s Will. In order to understand what God desires for us, we need spiritual wisdom and insight, which come from His Spirit and Word (Col. 1:9).
• A Walk Worthy of the Lord. This includes a desire to please God in every area of life, to bear lasting spiritual fruit in all we do, and to grow in our knowledge of Him through His Word (Col. 1:10).
• Strength for Steadfastness and Patience. The Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint. We need God’s mighty power in order to persevere to the end (Col. 1:11).
• Gratitude for Salvation. We should never forget that we have been rescued from sin and darkness and transferred to Christ’s kingdom (Col. 1:12-14).

There is nothing more effective than praying God’s Word back to Him, because our Father promises to hear and answer requests made according to His will (1 John 5:14-15).