We Haven't Stopped Praying for you.

Grace and Peace

Brothers and sisters grace and peace to you from God our Father and our LORD Jesus Christ. Paul begins each of his letters extending grace and peace to those who read it and hear it.

Paul begins by identifying himself as an apostle of Christ chosen by the will of God. He does this in every letter so his audience would know who the letter and message of the letter is coming from. Chosen by the will of God is an important phrase in his opening remarks and through out his opening prayer for the church at Colossae.

The church at Colossae is a church Paul didn’t start, nor had he ever visited. However he heard how their response to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ has changed them. Paul writes to this body of believers to encourage them and let them know they are being prayed for continually.

Paul, prays for them continually that, 1 they would know the will of God. 2 given spiritual wisdom and understanding. 3 their lives would please the LORD and produce good fruit. 4 grow as the get to know God better. 5 Strengthened with God’s glorious power. 6 Filled with joy.

As we journey together through Colossians may we know the will of God more deeply for us and his church. May the Holy spirit give us wisdom and understanding, and may we live as God’s holy people bearing fruit. May we continue to grow in grace and know God more deeply. May the spirit of God give us strength and endurance to persevere as we walk in the light of his kingdom.

Haven’t stopped Praying for you.

In his opening remarks to God’s holy people in Colossae, Paul tells them twice that he is always praying for them. Once in verse 3 and again in verse 9. In verse 3-5 Paul tells them why he is always praying and thanking God for them. The reason for his prayers and thanksgiving can be summed up in three words we often see linked in Paul’s writings, faith, hope, love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3,13

1 Corinthians 13:13 NRSV

13 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Faith in Christ

Their Love for Others

Hope for what God has for them.

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 NRSV

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

What does it mean to pray without ceasing?

Paul twice mentions that he hasn’t stopped praying for the colossians. Paul urges in other letters to pray without ceasing. What does it mean?

Too often we paint prayer into a time of day, a closet, a meeting all of these things are important but these are intelectual excerices. To pray without ceasing we must understand that prayer needs to also be an excercise of the heart. That means every breath we take, everything we do is in communion with God. We are called to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. To do this we must be in constant conversation with God.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year C, Volume 3 Pastoral Perspective

one problem with prayer is that many Christians view it largely as an intellectual exercise—an “activity of the mind” that reduces prayer to simply speaking with God or thinking about God. This is a problem, Nouwen writes, because viewing prayer as thinking about God makes God into an object that needs to be scrutinized or analyzed. Successful prayer, then, is understood as prayer that leads to new intellectual discoveries about God.

To love God with all our mind and heart prayer must be activity of the heart. That is prayer that changes us and draws us closer to God.

To answer the question what it means to pray without ceasing, that prayer be an activity of the heart and mind. That’s prayer that moves from our prayer meetings, from our prayer closets, and takes the conversation with God into our work places and into our daily lives.

The Gospel

The driving force behind all of this is the gospel of our LORD Jesus Christ. The gospel that transformed the lives of the Colossians is changing lives all over the world. Paul is giving thanks continually because of the work of Christ continuing to change lives. The gospel, the grace of God is still changing lives today.

Because of their response to the gospel the Holy spirit has given them a deeper love for others. What does this love look like? See the parable of the good Samaritan, or Christ own example when he layed down his life for you while we were still sinners.

Paul again tells them he has not stopped praying for them. This time he lays out how he is praying for them. Perhaps this is a way we should start praying for each other and the church.

1. they would know the will of God.

2. given spiritual wisdom and understanding.

3. their lives would please the LORD and produce good fruit.

4. grow as they get to know God better.

5. Strengthened with God’s glorious power.

6. Filled with joy.

We must not stop praying

Paul hasn’t stopped praying for the church in Colossae, because of the transforming work of the gospel of Christ. We must not stop praying and giving thanks to God because the transforming message of the gospel continues to go out all over the world and is changing lives.

To think of how the gospel is going out all over the world in our context, I can’t help but think of how online ministry has exploded since covid. Some of us cringe at a digital church, or may even oppose online ministry. Brothers and sisters however the gospel is reaching people there is only one right response.

To always pray for those believers and give thanks to God. Because the transforming power of the gospel of our LORD Jesus Christ is going out all over the world and bearing fruit. Through the power of the Holy Spirit people are being rescued from the kingdom of darkness, and transferred into the Kingdom of His dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

So dear brothers and sisters lets not stop praying for each other, God’s church here and else where, and lets always give thanks to God because the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is changing lives .