Prayer for Fellow Christians
Colossians 1:1-14 Colossians
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people — 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world —just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Today I feel led to go through the book of Colossians, beginning with the wonderful prayer for the Church at Colassae established by Epaprus in what is now Turkey. The prayers in the Bible are so very powerful, and when we speak these words aloud, inserting the names of those we are holding up before God, there is a holiness that connects us to our Father in a way nothing else can.
Paul wrote this letter while in prison in Rome, but the topics he addressed such as keeping Christ central to all aspects of life as well as adhering to sound doctrine were similar to his other letters. You will notice this prayer includes reminders of past accomplishments as well as a pledge for continually lifting these Christian’s up before a holy God. I would suggest as we read through this letter that we pray over a specific group or particular people each day as we begin these devotionals.
Notice the aspects of this letter;
- Thanksgiving
- Remembrance
- Prayers for
- Wisdom
- Understanding
- Live worthy
- Bear fruit
- Be strengthened
- Have great endurance
May we become grounded as never before as we open our hearts to new understanding and our wills to be led by the Holy Spirit.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sustain me oh God
Psalms 119:114-120 114 You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in your word.
115 Away from me, you evildoers,
that I may keep the commands of my God!
116 Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live;
do not let my hopes be dashed.
117 Uphold me, and I will be delivered;
I will always have regard for your decrees.
118 You reject all who stray from your decrees,
for their delusions come to nothing.
119 All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross;
therefore I love your statutes.
120 My flesh trembles in fear of you;
I stand in awe of your laws.
It seems as though many of us are living in a season of need. The medical symptoms are either changing or, if stable, the diagnosis is elusive. We become downcast because of being housebound, or our social activities consists of seeing one doctor after another with no end in sight.
David says regardless of his dilemma, he loves God’s laws and it is there where his hope is found. The next time we find ourselves in a state of hopelessness, why not do as David did and focus on God’s laws and His mercy and goodness.
May we look to God for his deliverance and our peace, knowing our help will always come from Him.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
My Hope is in your Word
Psalms 119:145-152 145 I call with all my heart; answer me, LORD,
and I will obey your decrees.
146 I call out to you; save me
and I will keep your statutes.
147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I have put my hope in your word.
148 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,
that I may meditate on your promises.
149 Hear my voice in accordance with your love;
preserve my life, LORD, according to your laws.
150 Those who devise wicked schemes are near,
but they are far from your law.
151 Yet you are near, LORD,
and all your commands are true.
152 Long ago I learned from your statutes
that you established them to last forever.
Have you noticed that once we hear God’s voice, and His precepts become known to us, then we cannot live without them? We do not simply read the Word, but instead we meditate upon it. We ponder upon God’s laws, keeping our minds from wandering.
We know, believe and understand that our hope is in His Word. Ps 27:4 says, “One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.”
Can my life be saved by anything or anyone other than God? It can not. Therefore, I dedicate my life to the God of my salvation, knowing that my help comes from Him and my hope is in His Word.
May we keep our hearts and our minds fixed on the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, and may we share Jesus with all we meet.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
In You I Trust
Psalms 25:1-6 Psalm 25
Of David.
1 In you, LORD my God,
I put my trust.
2 I trust in you;
do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.
4 Show me your ways, LORD,
teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
It is good in times of trouble to remember that David, too, had good times and bad. This is one of the reasons that we rely on the psalms to guide us through our lives. Just as David reminded God of His great works, he also humbled himself before God.
Why did David trust God? Because they had a track record together. David knew that God loved him and wanted the best for him. We, too, can know that God is our constant helper in times of need if we will stay in communion with Him
It is that constant relationship with God that builds a firm foundation upon which we can rely. And it is our willingness to ask God’s help and remind Him of His mercy and hope toward us that keeps us on the right path.
May we take the time each day to thank our Father for all He has done and ask him to remember us as we live our lives for Him.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Speak the Name of Jesus
1. Philippians 2:9 – Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
2. Ephesians 1:21 – Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
3. Acts 4:12 – Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
4. Colossians 3:17 – And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
5. Philippians 2:10 – That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
6. John 14:13 – And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 7. Psalm 148:13 – Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.
8. Psalm 8:1 – O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
9. Psalm 113:3 – From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised.
10. Psalm 111:9 – He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
11. Psalm 145:1 – I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.
12. Psalm 86:9 – All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.
Have you ever been in a situation where the only thing you could do, the only name you could say, was “Jesus?” Did you feel helpless at that moment? Can I tell you as long as you can speak the name of Jesus, or even think of His name, you are not helpless, you are not alone. And truly, when we are in Christ, and the Holy Spirit resides within us, whether we are asleep or awake, conscious or unconscious, we are not alone. Isn’t that wonderful?
All who know me know that I hold the old songs of the church dear to my heart. But occasionally there will be a contemporary song that grabs hold of me and I would like to share some of the lyrics of one of these songs with you now.
I Just Wanna Speak the Name of Jesus
By Jesse Reeves, Dustin Smith, Abby Benton, Kristen Dutton, Carlene Prince, Raina Pratt
I just wanna speak the name of Jesus
Over every heart and every mind
‘Cause I know there is peace within Your presence
I speak Jesus
‘Cause Your name is power
Your name is healing
Your name is life
Break every stronghold
Shine through the shadows
Burn like a fire
I recently experienced my fifth heart attack in twenty-five years. I liken it to Paul’s thorn in the flesh, except Paul was able to preach, teach and write letters until God called him home. I miss preaching—spending hours praying, studying, and then delivering the message on Sunday mornings. But more than anything, I miss taking care of the people in my charge—praying over them, calling them, laughing with them and crying with them.
I want to encourage you today that whatever season you are in, continue to speak the name of Jesus. May we know, believe and understand that we are never alone for Jesus is by our side.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 