Praying for Our Church Family

Father, we thank you tonight that you have allowed us to come back to your house. Lord, we thank you for showing us yourself in the Word this morning in Joshua and now we ask that you would meet with us. Lord, I’m dependent on you tonight and I ask that you will fill me with your Spirit and as our brothers who will often preach a better sermon than that which I preach myself. So we pray and ask now these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Take you Bibles and turn with me to Colossians, Colossians chapter 1 verses 19 through 14. There was a young boy who went to church. He was from the other side of the railroad tracks both literally and socially. This young boy came to know the Lord and had a heart for God. Unbeknown to him at first people began to pray for him. Some reached out and encouraged him and some would say to him, “I’m praying for you.” Three of those people prayed diligently for this young man through his teenage years, through his college years, in his dating and marriage into his adult life. Those three people are now in heaven, but I stand here before you as the young boy now an old man who was the recipient of their many prayers and the prayers of so many more.

Have you ever thought, “How can I pray for the members of Christ Covenant Church?” Let’s narrow it down. How can I pray for those on church staff, my pastor, elder, deacon, for those in my covenant group, for the ladies at my table in Bible study, or the men in my men’s group, for my classmates at school, for those that I sing with in the choir. It’s overwhelming, especially when you don’t see them, maybe once, maybe twice at the most each week. Well the Apostle Paul sheds light on praying for those who make up the body of Christ Covenant Church, and so in Colossians chapter 1 versus 9 through 13, Paul speaks to us on how to pray for our church family. And so from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will, in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so as to walk in a manner worthy of The Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious mite for all endurance and patience with joy. Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin.

In this portion of the scripture we see three things regarding Paul. We see Paul’s practice of prayer in verse 9. We see his petitions in prayer in verses 10 through 12 and then we see Paul’s prompting to prayer in verse 13 and 14. And so in verse 9, we have a little insight into the Apostle Paul and his prayer life. He says, “And so from the day we heard we have not ceased to pray for you.” We find here that Paul was made aware of the Church at Colossae.

Now last week Pastor Tom showed to us the Church at Philippi and how Paul planted that church and how he loved them and considered them his joy, but Paul also wrote this letter to the Church at Colossae. A church which he did not plant, a church that he had not visited, and a people he did not know. He knew the Philippians, but he only knew of the Colossians by Epaphras and Epaphras is mentioned here in chapter 1. Now Epaphras was probably the pastor there at Colossi and no doubt Epaphras was a convert of the Apostle Paul and it was Epaphras that told Paul of the spiritual progress of the saints at Colossae, as well as the threat of false teachers, and so that was Paul’s knowledge of that church merely by what Epaphras said to him, but knowing this we’re told also that he prayed unceasingly. He says, “We have never stopped praying for you.” He probably added them to his active prayer list. It’s not that he prayed 24/7 for this church, otherwise he would have not gotten anything done, but he put them on his active prayer list so they were actively before him and when he went to the throne of grace he lifted them up.

You must remember that Paul didn’t have access to Instagram or Facebook or the telephone or the U.S. Postal system, but he prayed for them on the basis of what Epaphras shared with him on his visit and with that much awareness of who they were, his request no doubt were repeated over and over and over again. You know praying for our church family is an expression of fellowship. You think about when you go to the throne of grace that you meet other believers together in prayer. It’s not only an expression of fellowship, but it’s also strengthening the hedge of protection around our church family and it also enlarges our horizon of praying for people that we’re not that much aware of.

And so, in verses 9 through 14, Paul ushers up a prayer for this church. He doesn’t know them personally, but he prays specifically for them, and I want you to know that there are two main petitions, the second one is growing out of the first. We can pray these same requests for our church family in general and particularly for those in our covenant group, or Bible studies, those that we sing with in the choir, our pastors and elders and deacons. Look if you will at verse 9 and 10. “And so from the day we heard we cease not to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of The Lord, fully pleasing to Him.”

Paul prayed two requests. The first request and the second request, the second request comes out of the first request. He prays that the believers at the Church of Colossae might have a full knowledge of God’s will, that is that they may have a thorough understanding of God’s truth as revealed in His Word. A thorough knowledge of God’s Word, and that only comes as a constant and careful study of God’s Word aluminated by the Holy Spirit and so that’s a good prayer request to pray for the people of God. He says here that they might have the full knowledge of the will of God and so as they read the Word and they see the will of God unfolded then it’s mandated that it’s our responsibility to do that. And so Paul here gives his other request. He prays that they may walk in a manner worthy of The Lord. This second petition is the consequence of the first one here in verse 9.

The reason why Paul prays for them to have a full knowledge of God’s will is that they may walk in a manner worthy of The Lord. Having a true knowledge of God always has a good impact on the soul because it brings God pleasure and he’s pleased when we walk in the light of His Word. Now saying that, Paul then takes us into the second request and he unfolds four specific ways that we should pray for believers, that we should pray for each other. And notice with me here in verse 10 that we find the first one, a characteristic of this worthy walk is that the believer would bear fruit in every good work. And then the second one he gives in verse 10 is growing in the knowledge of God and the third request is mentioned here in verse 11, being strengthened with all mite, and then the last request that he gives or characteristic, is found in verse 12, giving thanks.

So these four characteristics really impacts the meaning of that phrase that they may walk in a manner worthy of The Lord. Let’s look at them. Let’s begin with this first one that Paul says in verse 10, “So as to walk in a manner worthy of The Lord, fully pleasing to Him bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of The Lord. The believer who is walking properly before God will be bearing fruit in every good work.” That’s a good prayer request, to pray for those that The Lord puts on you to pray that they be fruit bearing Christians. Paul is using this word fruit to denote various characteristics of the Christian life.

I’d like to have you to turn with me to Galatians chapter 5, “And look at the fruit of the Spirit.” This is certainly a request that we can pray for the body of Christ. Paul writes here in verse 22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” We can pray for those characteristics that are personally that of the Lord Jesus to be found in the people in our Covenant group, in the church body here. If you sit in the north lobby and you’re praying for the folks in the north lobby, you can certainly ask The Lord that they might grow and develop in the fruit of their Spirit.

Turn with me to Hebrews 13 and look at verse 15. The writer of Hebrews mentions here, “Through Him let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God that is the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” We can certainly pray for the fruit of their lips, would usher up in praise and thanksgiving to God for who He is. We often pray and we ask The Lord to inhabit the praises of His people and certainly we can pray that The Lord will receive, that these folks that we’re praying for will bear forth fruit, a praise from their lips.

In Philippians chapter 4, Paul gives another way of praying for gifts and here me mentions to the Church at Filippi, in verse 17 he says, “Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.” He’s talking about the giving that the church had been so good to render to Paul in his missionary journeys, that there would be fruit out of the giving, and certainly we can pray for that, that our folks that we’re praying for would be folks that will give of themselves and of their means to the Glory of God and the furtherance of his kingdom. And then in Philippians 1:22 Paul writes this, he says here, “If I’m to live in the flesh that which means fruitful labor for me, yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.”

Paul talked about fruitful labor, the gift, the fruit of labor, giving himself to glorify Christ in the spreading of The Word, in developing saints and mentoring them. And so the true believer who is walking before The Lord will be bearing fruit in every good work and we can pray that God will keep that person, that brother or sister from self-centeredness or work-centeredness that would have hindered any acts of kindness or generosity or goodness in his life. And so saying that, he goes on to give another request, the other characteristic in verse 10 and that’s growing in the knowledge of God. He prays here that they may increase in the knowledge of God.

The second characteristic of a worthy walk is growing in the knowledge of God. Paul has in mind here a fruit tree that yields fruit and keeps growing. In parts of the south there’s pecan plantations or pecan farms and you’ll just see rows and rows of pecan trees that just blossom forth of loads of pecans. They’re old trees, they’ve been around for years, and yet they grow and they develop, and they produce more pecans. You know we can pray that those folks we’re praying for will clearly see in His Word, the Lord Jesus, and that they may have fellowship with the Lord Jesus in prayer, in meditation that they may be so filled with the spirit of holiness that they may see the Lord in truth. Paul here is praying that they will grow and he expects that this knowledge that they will mature in, will be producing fruit greater than it was when they started out in their Christian walk. And so he prays that they may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

We should pray that the believer will grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus, not just head knowledge, but knowledge that results in producing fruit of holiness. And so he goes on in the characteristics and then he comes to verse 11 and here he prays for the saints at Colossae, that they may be strengthened with all power according this His glorious mite for all endurance and patience with joy. This source of power is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit who dwells in all believers, the Holy Spirit that is in my life and in your life and so we’re to pray that they will be strengthened in the spirit according to His glorious mite for all endurance and patience with joy.

This strengthening that Paul is making mention of here in verse 11 is for the production of spiritual fruit especially under trying circumstances. Right now in our church family we have a lot of folks under trying circumstances. Some have circumstances related to health matters, some are related to employment, some are rebuilding a house that’s been destroyed by fire, and Paul is praying that under trying circumstances that they would have the patience, the endurance under that trial, and long suffering coupled with joy in their lives, and that’s not always easy to demonstrate. When a believer is confronted with adversity as Paul describes, it is evidence that he has learned something of the will of God and has drawn from the resources of the Holy Spirit.

I think of one elder, an elder who is now with The Lord. He was diagnosed with aggressive pancreatic cancer and The Lord in his mercy called him home to two weeks later and during this time The Lord drew very near to him. He was filled with peace and joy as he yearned to go to his eternal home. Three nights before his home going he shared, “As long as I live, I couldn’t have had a more wonderful last two weeks. This has been the best two weeks of my life. We won’t be sorry, the hero is Jesus Christ and we’re only here to proclaim Him and His truth. We know the victory over death has been won by Him. This is one thing that He’s teaching us and we’ll learn this for all time.” He then quoted psalm 116 verse 15. “Precious in the site of The Lord is the death of his saints.” Trying circumstances, endurance yes, patience yes, but coupled with that was joy. How did that happen supernaturally. It is The Lord, the Holy Spirit dwelling within him. And so Paul prays for the Church at Colossae that they may be strengthened with all power according to the spirit, that they may endure the trying circumstances that would come their way and with patience to endure that trial and so with joy.

And then he prays for this fourth characteristic in verse 12. “Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. This fourth characteristic that we can pray is to pray that they become thankful people, that they maintain and grow in a spirit of thanksgiving. You know the Bible puts a lot of importance on thankfulness and that it is a characteristic that is associated with the redeemed. Apostates and pagans are known for their ingratitude, but the characteristic that stands out in the believers, one of thanksgiving.

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians that all things give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. He wrote to the Church at Philippi, he said, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.” And so Paul is praying for the believers, a group of people he doesn’t know at Colossae, that they would have the same spirit of gratitude. It’s a spirit of gratitude that the world sees and takes note of. Thanksgiving should be a habit for the child of God, and you can pray for those concerning this that they may see His unfailing love, His mercy in every circumstance in their life, and that they may rejoice in the opportunities to show patience and to show love from The Lord. And so, in his petitions which are specific he prays for people in general that he doesn’t know. He asks that these folks may grow in the fruit of holiness and Paul could pray for the Church at Colossae as he did because they stood in a special relation to God. Paul could pray for the Church at Colossae, for they shared the same thing that he did or he had, and what we have tonight. Even though he didn’t know them, they still had something in common and in verse 13 and 14 we see Paul’s prompting to prayer. Notice what he says, “He has delivered us, us, Colossae, the saints and Paul to you and me. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness, transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin.”

Beloved, do you realize tonight, though I may not know you as well as I know my wife and the senior dogs, there’s something that you and I have in common. There’s something that all of us here that belong to Jesus Christ shares and what is that? Paul gives us three things. Notice the first one is mentioned in verse 13, that we have been rescued from the realm of spiritual darkness. Do you realize that tonight? You and I could be at home with a 6-pack and watching the Super Bowl, but He’s created us new creations and He’s put within us the spirt of God and He has given is a new desire, a new appetite, and so as we gather here tonight we all share in common that we have been delivered from the domain of darkness which is Satan, sin, and hell. Aren’t you glad you’re delivered tonight from that, aren’t you glad you’re not going there when you die? And just as we’ve been delivered from the domain of darkness, we have been transferred into the kingdom of the son of God. We’ve been delivered and we’ve been deposited in the kingdom of God. We are heaven bound tonight and so as we gather here and we worship The Lord we know it’s only a temporary time because he’ll call us home and we shall see him face to face.

Our Lord has rescued us from the clutches of Satan’s realm and has removed us into His kingdom of God. And do you know what The Lord said in the Book of John? He says, “No man is able to pluck them out of my hand. We are secured in the hands of our savior. We have been delivered and now we’re in the kingdom of Christ.” So that’s the second thing that Paul identifies with the Church of Colossae with, and that’s the second thing that we identify with each other.

And then he mentions one other thing and this is found here in verse 14, “That they possess redemption from sin, because those who trust Christ for salvation are placed into a vital union with Him, they possess redemption from their sin that His death has secured. In home we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin.” And so tonight as we assemble here to worship we do have in common that we’ve been delivered from the domain of darkness, that we have been transferred into the kingdom of light and that we have redemption because of the forgiveness of our sin. Jesus Christ redeemed us by his death on the cross.

Now Paul’s prayer for the Church of Colossae was number one that they would be filled with the knowledge of God and you know we’re blessed here at Christ Covenant to hear the Word of God faithfully preached and taught and lived out so we have an understanding of God’s Word and where many places that’s not happening, but we also need as Paul prays here to pursue that knowledge, to grow in that knowledge, not just up here but in here and outwardly to produce fruit, the fruit of the spirit, the fruit of the praise of our lips, the fruit of labor, and the fruit of giving.

He also prays in verse 11 that “We may be strengthened with all power according to His glorious mite, that the spirit of God abides within and he’s not quenched or grieved by a life of unconfessed sin, that we are led by the spirit, we walk in the spirit.” And so whenever a circumstance comes our way would it be one of death, would it be one of illness, would it be one of unemployment, would it be one of family difficulties, that by the spirit of God in dwelling a heart of each of us that we can see things through God’s lens and endure what that is before us and do so joyfully. And you know what I mean by that, it’s not that we go around shouting, “Praise The Lord”, but we have that inner peace within our heart knowing that Christ is at the helm of the wheel and He promised to go with us and He will not leave us nor forsake us.

And so, he prays that they might be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, walk in a manner worthy of The Lord. He unfolds for these people that he only knows generally, specifically what they need. Now that is a prayer that God not only hears, but pleases Him. And as we meet with The Lord in prayer this week in our private time, let’s expand our horizon to prayer boldly. It’s impossible to pray for 2000 people that we have here. I do know of a senior pastor who prays regularly for people in our church and he goes through a list. Aren’t you glad you have a praying pastor like that? But also, we’re called upon to pray for one another and so look beyond our immediate family and to look out into the groups that The Lord has placed us in and to uphold those folks, though we don’t know them personally, we can certainly pray as Paul did for the saints there at Colossae and saying that Paul is a reminder to us that we ought to pray for one another. Will you join me as we pray.

Loving Lord we thank you tonight that you prayed for us and you do pray for us, you’re our great his priest and we thank you that you’ve invited us to come boldly to the throne of grace to find grace in time of need. And we thank you reminding us to cast all of our cares on you because you care for us, and Lord as we have seen answered prayer in our lives, Lord would you lift our vision to pray for the church family here at Christ Covenant. Lord we need to pray for one another, we need to strengthen the walls of protection against the forces of the evil one by praying. Lord may we just do that trusting you to bring forth the results in the lives of those we pray for as well as ourselves. Now Lord we ask that you would grant us traveling mercies tonight and a good night’s rest and may we Lord expand our horizon in the morning to pray for others in Jesus’ name. Amen.