Read 1 Samuel 14, Ezekiel 25, and Colossians 4.
This devotional is about Colossians 4.
Back in Colossians 3, which we read yesterday. Paul taught us to set our hearts “on things above” because we “have been raised with Christ” (Col 3:1). The rest of chapter 3 and verses 1-6 here in Colossians 4 tell us how to set our minds on eternity. In this chapter, we set our minds on things above by doing what is “right and fair” (v. 1) and by devoting ourselves to prayer (v. 2).
Starting in verse 3, Paul moved toward the conclusion of this letter by giving some personal words. Verses 7-8 described Paul’s intention to send Tychicus and Onesimus to the church in Colossae. We’ll find our more tomorrow about Onesimus’s role in this trip when we read the book of Philemon.
Verses 10-15 describe the personal greetings Paul’s co-workers in the gospel wished to send to the church in Colossae. In verse 12, a man named Epaphras sent his greeting. We are told, also in verse 12, that Epaphras is from Colossae when Paul wrote that he “…is one of you” in addition to his being “…a servant of Jesus Christ.” Then at the end of verse 12, we read these words, “He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.”
Let’s take a minute and look more closely at what Paul said about this man’s prayer life.
First, it was hard work. Verse 12 says that Epaphras was “always wrestling in prayer.” The NIV used word “wrestling” to translate a word that comes from athletics but, in this context, describes someone who is making every effort to accomplish something. The point, then, is that Epaphras was consistent and fervent in his praying.
And what did he pray fervently and consistently about? Again verse 12 tells us when it says, “that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.” In other words, Epaphras was praying that the believers in his home church of Colossae would be fighting against and winning their own battles against sin. That’s what it means to “stand firm in all the will of God.” It means to consistently do what God wills, which is for us as Christians to do what is right and not what is wrong.
Finally, the last bit of verse 12 tells us that Epaphras prayed for his brothers and sisters to be “mature and fully assured.” He wanted them to grow out of the early stages of faith and into full maturity, so that they were fully-functional servants and followers of Jesus Christ. That kind of spiritual growth would give them the evidence they need that they truly belong to Jesus which is what the final phrase, “fully assured” means.
When you pray for yourself, do you pray for your own spiritual growth? Do you ask God to help you walk in his will, morally-speaking, which means to do what is right in his sight? Do you pray for spiritual maturity? How about when you pray for your spouse, your kids, and other Christians? Do you pray for others who know the Lord to become more like him as they progress in the Christian life?
It is certainly good to pray for someone to recovery from surgery or to get more healthy if they are ill. It is great to pray for your kids to do well in school and to find a career path and a good, Christian spouse. There is everything right with praying for other believers you know to be blessed. But, in addition to these things, let’s pray for each other to be stronger morally, more mature spiritually, and fully assured that we belong to the Lord because of it. This is what God wants most to do in us. He wants to make us more like Jesus and stronger in our walk with him.
Let’s pray that way, in Jesus name, whenever we pray for another Christian.