Vital Communion With The Lord

Aug 23, 2014

A Model for Prayer

Read | Colossians 1:10-14

Let’s continue using Paul’s prayer for the Colossians as a model. Yesterday, we studied his first two requests—understanding God’s will and living a worthy life. Now let’s consider the other four:

• To bear fruit in every good work (v. 10). The Lord desires for our actions to bring Him glory. We all seem to be very busy, but are the activities that fill our time eternally valuable?

• To grow in the knowledge of God (v. 10). Through books, sermons, and technology, a wealth of information about the Bible is available. But the apostle’s request is not only for believers to gain facts regarding Christ. He speaks of an understanding in the heart, not simply a mental grasp of knowledge.

• To be strengthened according to His power (v. 11). We are weak when relying on our own strength. Sometimes it takes being driven to our knees before we will relinquish control and instead trust in the Lord’s awesome power. Maintaining endurance and focus in the midst of our difficulties requires energy beyond our own.

• To walk in gratitude (v. 12). When we realize where all good gifts originate, we can live with thankfulness. Contentment and joy come from a grateful heart, not from circumstances.

In the busyness of today’s world, prayer often gets squeezed out of our schedules. But communion with the Lord is vital to a healthy, vibrant relationship with Him. Remember that lifting our loved ones before God’s throne is far more important than many tasks which seem more pressing.

-Stanley