Together in Christ: 'We All Need Loving Prayer with Our Instruction!' — Colossians 1:9-10

Sunday, October 6, 2024

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So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
— Colossians 1:9-10 NLT

Key Thought

The adage, "People don't care what you say until they know how much you care!" is "more truth than poetry"! We all need instruction, guidance, and teaching that reveal God's truth to us. Teachers, instructors, and professors can help us learn this truth. However, a pastor, a loving parent, a trusted friend, and an invested mentor will do much more than pass on information. Their goal is not just to teach a fact, present a lesson, or preach a message. They love us. They want to help us. They want us to understand what they are teaching us, help us integrate it into our lives, grow us in the direction of Christlikeness, and know we are not alone as we do.

The letter to the Colossians is the apostle Paul's letter to a church facing challenging false teaching and spiritual insecurity. They doubted one of their fellow members, Epaphras. [1] They weren't sure he had taught them all the truth they needed to know. [2] They were being led astray into speculative mysticism and a false view of Jesus. [3] They had slavery issues involving one of their key families and a runaway slave. [4] Many of them were unsure of their personal salvation. [5] The church situation was a mess!

So, how did Paul dive into their problems? He began by praying consistently and passionately for the Colossian believers. He asked God to lead them to the full and needed truth. He assured them that this would mean they would honor the Lord, produce good things pleasing to God, and grow as they knew God more intimately. Paul knew the heart of their problem was confidence in the message they had received, in the salvation they thought they had, and in the trustworthiness of their leaders.

Paul didn't start by confronting, correcting, or criticizing them. Instead, he prayed for them and told them what he prayed for them. Wow! Isn't that an insightful relationship principle we must practice in our circles of fellowship? So, let's alter that adage and align it with Paul: "Folks don't really care to know what we have to say until they know how passionately we care and go to the Father in prayer for them!"

[1] Colossians 1:7, 4:12; Philemon 1:23.
[2] Colossians 1:4-7.
[3] Colossians 1:15-23, 2:12-15.
[4] Philemon 1:1-25.
[5] Colossians 1:5-7.

Today's Prayer

Almighty God and loving Father, I am thinking of several people who are part of Your forever family who need Your love, power, and blessing released into their lives. I commit to encouraging and supporting them with my love, fellowship, and finances. They also need Your divine blessing to be released into their lives to help them overcome health issues, emotional problems, financial issues, and pain. Father, You know that several of them need to come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, so I'm asking You to use me to touch their hearts as You open their hearts to Your grace. I ask this in the authority of the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, 3:9-13, 5:23-28
  • Ephesians 1:15-20, 3:14-21, 6:23-24

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Illustration

Illustration of Colossians 1:9-10 NLT — So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

About This Devotional

Together in Christ is a daily devotional that focuses on what Scripture teaches about godly living in relationships.

'Together in Christ' is written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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