Praying for Others

Introduction

Today we begin the second of Paul’s prison’s epistles—or the second of Paul’s letters written while he was in prison.

As we begin this book Paul identifies both the author and the audience.

If you have your Bibles I’d like to encourage you to open them with me and to and we’ll begin reading with verse 1.

Colossians 1:1–2 NIV84

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

The first thing we notice is that Paul identifies himself as the author of the book. It apparently was written along with Timothy.

Paul wrote it to those who identified as followers of Jesus Christ in Colosse.

Notice they are called “the holy and faithful”

QUESTION 1—What does it mean to be holy and faithful? The real translation of “holy” is often translated “saints.” We are called “faithful saints and brothers of Jesus Christ living in Colosse.”

Colossians 1:3–6 NIV84

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.

Colossians 1:3-

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

Paul says that he always thanked God for them.

Paul prayed for them because he heard of their faith in Jesus and their love for ALL the saints.

QUESTION 2—Do you pray for those you hear love Jesus and love All the saints?

The truth is we ought to have an endless supply of faith and love. It is endless because it comes from heaven!

Colossians 1:

Colossians 1:7–8 NIV84

You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

All over the World God’s gospel is bearing fruit and growing—just like it has in our land.

QUESTION 3—What are we doing to see the gospel bear fruit around us?

Paul acknowledges that the church at Colosse learned from Epaphras, and it was Epaphras told Paul about the church’s love in the Spirit.

QUESTION 4—Does God’s Spirit give you love for others?

Paul’s Prayer

Colossians 1:9–14 NIV84

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 1:9-

Paul’s prayed for some specific things:

They would know God’s will.

They would have spiritual wisdom.

They would have spiritual understanding.

They would live a life worthy of the Lord God.

They would bear fruit of good work.

They would continue growing in knowledge.

They would be strengthened with all power.

They would have great endurance.

They would have great patience.

They would have great joy.

Constantly giving thanks:

Because they share in Christ’s inheritance.

Because they are part of the Kingdom of light.

Paul prayed for the church at Colosse, that they would come to know Jesus in an intimate manner.

KEY—all of these things that we’ve been talking about have been given to us. We know this:

God rescued us from the dominion of darkness!

God brought us into the Kingdom of His Son!

God redeemed and forgave our sins!

Our So What today comes from this last part:

So What

What does it mean to be redeemed? What is different about us, because we have been redeemed?

Because we are redeemed we do not belong to ourselves. We belong to God!

Therefore we no longer serve sin or Satan, we serve God.

More than that we are God’s prized possessions. Because of that Satan wants to destroy us and our prized relationship with God!