Colossians 3:1-4

I'm jumping around a bit in my study of Colossians but I was very struck by the following passage tonight:

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Paul has just finished exhorting the Colossian Church to...

1) not be "deluded with plausible arguments", or "take captive by philosophy".

2) leave behind the "elemental spirits of the world", specifically the regulations and rituals which have no value.

The language that particularly impressed me was his constant reference to death. He even tell us to actively "put to death" the remaining earthly things within us. Oddly enough, I read this passage after day when I have saturated myself with this world. When I came to my devotions tonight I realized that I had not prayed once, except for my meals and hardly a spiritual thought had crossed my mind all day.

The Christian life is one that begins with death. It is as a dramatic separation as a physical death. When we come to the cross and die with Christ, we are torn from the world; yet we still exist in this sphere, with all its temptations and preoccupations clamoring at us.

I suppose we must reenact the passion every day: standing against those earthy lusts that fight to drag us back down. We must continually die and at the same time live more and more. It's paradoxical.

And it all points to Jesus. More and more I understand that my life must be nothing but a retelling of Christ's gospel. It's the only story worth telling. As Paul says, "Him we proclaim..."

Colossians 1:9-10

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

Previously I was impressed on Paul's dedication to prayer for the Colossian church. In this passage I get a glimpse of what he prayed for them.

1. That God would fill them with the knowledge of his will


2. To live a life worthy of The Lord


3. To please The Lord in every way


4. That they would bear fruit in every good work


5. And grow in the knowledge of the Lord

When I pray for my fellowship, I should remember to at least pray for these.

Colossians 1:1-8

1. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

2. To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

This seems to be the usual apostolic greeting. I think the line "Grace and peace... from God our Father." is worth noting as it confirms that the apostles knew they were acting under the Lord's authority and inspiration.

3. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4. because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— 5. the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6. that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. 7. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8. and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

In this passage we learn that Paul prayed regularly for the Colossian Church. These were people that Paul had never met personally; he had only heard of their faith. Yet he prayed for them.

Often, I only have the diligence to pray for my daily needs and those of my immediate family, and perhaps a few other needs that are sitting at the surface of my consciousness. Paul was so diligent in prayer that he would even pray for a distant church that he had never visited.

He later instructs: "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."

Am I watchful in my prayers? Who am I watching for? Do I bring thanksgiving to God in prayer? Am I steadfast? In all of these, I fall short.

The prayers that I should bring to the Lord daily are often hindered by surfing the internet, physical tiredness, the full gambit of distractions my culture offers. I am so easily -almost gladly- distracted; I need to be watchful; I need to be steadfast.

But chiefly, we call to mind the first thing our Lord said of Paul after his conversion: "for, behold, he prayeth" (Acts 9:11, ital. mine). The Lord Christ was, as it were, striking the keynote of Paul’s subsequent life, for he was to be eminently distinguished as a man of prayer.

~ Arthur Pink