Praying Without Ceasing
Colossians 1:3,4,9-11 In our prayers we always thank God for you. He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank him because we have heard about the faith you have in Christ Jesus and the love you have for all of God’s people. Since the day we heard these things about you, we have continued praying for you. This is what we pray: that God will make you completely sure of what he wants by giving you all the wisdom and spiritual understanding you need; that this will help you live in a way that brings honour to the Lord and pleases him in every way; that your life will produce good works of every kind and that you will grow in your knowledge of God; that God will strengthen you with his own great power, so that you will be patient and not give up when troubles come.
So, the question for you today is … in your prayer time, whatever that happens to look like, how much time do you spend praying for others versus praying for yourself – your needs, your hopes and dreams? Well?
Now there’s nothing wrong with praying for yourself. Most mornings, I like Jabez, ask God to bless me richly, because God’s blessing is vital to me leading a life that honours Him.
Nevertheless, it is true that sometimes our prayer times, set as they are amidst what can be a very busy life, err toward an unhealthily self-centred approach. Here’s the Apostle Paul writing to people that he’d likely never met:
Colossians 1:3,4,9-11 In our prayers we always thank God for you. He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank him because we have heard about the faith you have in Christ Jesus and the love you have for all of God’s people. Since the day we heard these things about you, we have continued praying for you. This is what we pray: that God will make you completely sure of what he wants by giving you all the wisdom and spiritual understanding you need; that this will help you live in a way that brings honour to the Lord and pleases him in every way; that your life will produce good works of every kind and that you will grow in your knowledge of God; that God will strengthen you with his own great power, so that you will be patient and not give up when troubles come.
What a powerful prayer. What a powerful encouragement. Don’t forget to unleash God’s power in the lives of others by praying for them.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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