Pray

Pondering Colossians 1

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We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.—Colossians 1:3-5

There should have been a boost of confidence for an Apostle of Paul’s repute to say to the Colossians that they were “…God’s holy people …who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ” (1:2). Paul needed to begin his letter this way because he had important things to share with them. They should know that he does not do this with a scowl or a frown, but with a smile and hope. That is a great model for us as we deal with our brothers and sisters. The world, the enemy, our own brokenness—all of these leave us beaten up and in need of rescue. But when a Christian friend uses terms like “holy” and “faithful” to describe us, our spirits begin to revive.

Moreover, to know that Paul was praying for them surely was a blessing. It seems like we run over this part of the letter to get to the meatier parts of the message, but let this instruct us in how we pray for one another. What would it mean to you if a friend were praying for you…

• Giving thanks for you and for your influence for Christ in this life.

• Remembering how grateful they are for the love you have given to them, maybe in times of stress or heartache.

• Encouraged by the way your words and life demonstrate hope in God’s promises for eternal life in heaven.

• Acknowledging with grace and thankfulness your commitment from the day you heard the gospel until now.

Perhaps someone has prayed for me that way, and I never knew it. But I do not get to control that. What I do get to control is how I pray for others. I want to move beyond blanket prayers for “blessings” or “healing.” I want to engage in a time of gratitude for the person for whom I’m praying. Maybe even, like Paul, for a church.

Why not spend some time praying for people in the way that Paul does here? You can decide if you want to tell them. Like Paul, maybe you could even write a letter to them to tell them how you are praying for them. But if not, God hears, and He moves in answer to prayer always.