How often do you pray for the people in your church? I am convinced that a major part of building a healthy community in your local church is praying for those with whom you worship. Praying for one another encourages us to think about each other throughout the week, to develop real concern for each other, to invest in one another, to know one another, and to love each other. Praying for each other can make a huge difference in your community.
The apostle Paul understood this and gives us a model of how we ought to pray for one another. One particular example can be found in the opening chapter of Colossians as the apostle prays for the people fo the church at Colossae. We can learn a lot from praying Paul’s prayers for the Colossians.
In Colossians chapter 1 we find the apostle begins with expressing thankfulness. But he is not thanking the Colossians. Certainly there is good reason to thank each other in the church. After all God has given to each of us certain gifts to be used for the whole of the church (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:4). But Paul is not thanking these Christians, but rather thanking God. We read, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you” (Col. 1:3). When Paul prays for the Colossians he thanks God for them. His particular prayer is important too.
It’s important that we thank God for each other, but in this particular case Paul is thanking God for their salvation. Paul is expressing his gratitude to God for saving the Christians at the church in Colossae. The whole statement says:
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. (Colossians 1:3-5a)
It’s a peculiar thing to pray, but Paul is actually thanking God for the salvation of his friends. Are you thankful for the salvation of your fellow church members?
There are people in my church whom I am thankful to God for saving. I think about a young man who a little over a year ago was an atheist pot dealer and is now a faithful, passionate, followers of Jesus. I think about young guys who grew up in the church but never heard the gospel who have come to faith and are now pursuing full-time ministry. I think about former students I had who have come to faith, recovering addicts who have found Jesus, and apathetic Christians who are now interning at our church. I am thankful for the salvation of these people.
It’s not often that I pause to thank God for their redemption, their rescue, and their future in heaven. But Paul thanks God for the salvation of the Colossians and it would do us well to pause and do the same. Be thankful not only for the people in your church and their gifts, but be thankful that they are Christians. God has done miraculous things, not the least of which is save wretches like you and me. Be thankful.
Sparrow & Heart Soul Care 