We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.
Colossians 1:3
Paul shares an awesome example concerning prayer in the opening paragraphs of this letter (especially in verses 9-12). My attention was drawn to the aspect of thanking God when we pray for others. This idea should have been familiar to me because—only one page back in my Bible—Paul communicates a similar thought to the church at Philippi (…but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.), but at least I caught it the second time. Paul was thankful for God’s work in the lives of these believers.
Thankfulness brings credit to God for what He has done. It reminds us that He runs the show. Our requests take on a different focus: we become more likely to ask for what God wants (instead of what we want) for the people we pray for.
Father, thank You for ______. Thank You for what You have done in her life. Thank you that your grace is sufficient for her. I ask that you continue to reveal Yourself to her and give her strength in this difficult time in her life.
Praying,
Jim
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Good Morning, Pastor Mark,
ReplyDeleteI was reading Monday in a devotional by Dr. Stanley about jealousy. One of the ways he suggested to get over jealousy is to do something nice for the person you are jealous of. This morning comments about these verses in Colossians is the nicest thing you can do for anyone, "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding." Thank you for your godly wisdom and insight. I will heed God's word. Love in Christ Francie