For this reason, we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding... "Colossians 1:9 NKJV)
As a child of God, you have been given the responsibility to pray for the fellow brethren and saints in Christ. It is important to keep in mind that the saints in Christ whom you are praying for, are people who are already full of the Spirit of God, they're already blessed with every spiritual blessing, they lack nothing and don't require deliverance or breakthrough.
When we pray for the saints, it has to be by the Spirit (Romans 8:26). The Apostle Paul in his letters reveals and introduces to us how prayer and intercession for fellow saints should be done. In 1 Corinthians 14:15 NKJV, he shows us his order of prayer, "... I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding (1 Corinthians 14:15 NKJV)...." In this order of prayer, tongues are dominant and then the understanding follows as words of prophecy are released as inspired by the Holy Spirit.
The question is, what is the content of the Apostle Paul's prayer? What exactly does he say as he intercedes for the saints? These questions may arise. He prayed for the saints in Ephesus that, "...the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened..." (Ephesians 1:17 NKJV). This is the prayer he offered for God's people. He did this with the Spirit and with the understanding also. So when you now offer the prayer what do you do? You first read the scripture out loud then speak in tongues with your mindset on those you're praying for, in line with the prayer.
In Philippians 1:9 he prayed that "...your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent..." He prayed that the saint's love may grow and that they may be able to discern between right and wrong and approving things that are excellent.
What's even more beautiful about these prayers is that, not only can they be offered for the brethren in Christ, but you can actually declare and speak these words over your life. For example, in Colossians 1:9, he prayed that the saints may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding and that they work worthy of Him. What do you then do when making declarations over your life? You declare, "I'm filled with the knowledge of God's will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, I walk worthy of the Lord and please Him in all things." This is consistent with your nature in Christ. Hallelujah.
As Christians, we have been given the responsibility of also praying for the prosperity and furtherance of the Gospel. The Apostle Paul encouraged the saints in Thessalonica to pray that, "... the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes... (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 NLT). We have a high calling in Christ, there's no time to be praying for deliverance and breakthrough, we're in our place of rest and wealth in Christ.
It's also our responsibility to pray for the nations of the world and those in authority. Paul explains that when we do this the result would be, "...that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence... (1 Timothy 2:2 NKJV)." A peaceable and quite life for the citizens of a nation is a result of the intercessions for those in authority by the saints.
Christianity is not a calling to beg and ask God for what we have already. It's a calling to fulfil our priestly ministry of offering prayers and intercessions for the saints, the furtherance of the Gospel and those in authority. As we offer these, we do it with the Spirit and with the understanding also.
Prayer:
Blessed Father, thank you for calling me into Fellowship and union with you. I fulfil my priestly ministry by the spirit and my earnest, heartfelt and continuous prayers produce tremendous results, making great power available, in Jesus' name. Amen.
Further Study:
1 Corinthians 14:2 NKJV
Ephesians 1:15-21 NKJV
Ephesians 3:14-20 NKJV
Philippians 1:9-11 NKJV
Colossians 1:9-12 NKJV
Colossians 4:12 NKJV
2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 NLT
Colossians 4:2-4 NKJV
1 Timothy 2:1-3 NKJV