The Faithful Church

What risk are you willing to take? When people think about you, would you say that you are a risk taker? Faith is about risk isn’t it? We can chose faith or we can chose safety. We can opt for predictability or take a chance. Would your life be characterized as a life of faith, or, more importantly faith in what or who? Are you someone who is thought of as a person of love? Or is that one trait that really doesn’t make it to the top ten.

When Paul and Timothy thought of the church in Colossae they regularly thanked God for their faith in Christ. When Paul and Timothy thought of the Christian fellowship in Colossae they regularly thanked God for their love for all the saints.

Those in Colossae were motivated by the hope laid up for them in heaven. The gospel was constantly bearing fruit where ever it was preached and Colossae was the most recent example of the power of the Good News effecting and changing yet another group of lives - faith in Christ and love for the saints. (Col 1:3-8 )

Because of what Paul and Timothy had heard about the goings on in Colossae they prayed and prayed and prayed for them. They did not cease praying for them. What did they pray is a model for us: “Heavenly Father fill them with the knowledge of Your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Paul and Timothy pray this for a few reasons. Paul petitioned God for even more spiritual maturity in this opening prayer. We are praying this so that, 1) you would walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, 2) you would bear fruit in every good work, 3) you would be increasing in the knowledge of God. The outcome of your growing maturity would be joyful thanks to God who qualified them (and us) to share in the inheritance of the saints. (9-12)

The reason we pray this for you is because God has rescued you from the dominion of darkness and transferred you to His kingdom. (13-14)

When you pause and reflect on your prayer life does this sound like how you pray or could today be the beginning of a new and more biblically based prayer life?

As we enter into Colossians for the next few months may we be motivated by the gospel and set our hearts right through the model of prayer Paul provides. “Father would You fill me with the knowledge of your will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. I want to know Christ and love the saints.”

Christ’s Church is a faith-filled, loving fellowship focused on knowing God's will driven by the gospel.