“Abundant Christian Living”

TOPIC:‌“When a Great Man Prays for a Desperate Church”

                  by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap

TEXT:‌Colossians 1:9-14

‌‌“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you”

‌‌(1:9)

‌Henry Drummond, famous preacher of past years, once described D. L. Moody as “the greatest human I have ever met.” Paul S. Rees in this context writes: “It is no reflection on Moody to say that if Professor Drummond had met St. Paul he would have revised his judgment.” And so he would have! This “greatest of humans” as called by Rees now storms the throne of grace for these Colossians believers.

‌Here we find once again one of Paul's most admiring traits - he prays for the people to whom he writes. In every letter he pours out his soul in heartfelt prayer to God for the believers of his day. In the passages before us, Paul's heart is stirred for the spiritual growth and welfare of these Colossian believers.  Having learned firsthand from Epaphras of the present difficulty at Colossae, prayer now rises in the inner soul of Paul for them.

‌The burden of Paul's heart is clearly seen in the way he prays for them. It was PERSISTENT prayer: “do not cease to pray” (v. 9) or as he writes in verse 3: “praying always for you.” Paul seized every opportunity to intercede for them. Such praying took time and toil. It was PASSIONATE prayer: “do not cease to pray” (v. 9). Paul prayed intensely and fervently for them. The situation at Colossae demanded it. It was POINTED prayer: “for you.” Knowing the problems they faced, the dangers surrounding them, Paul prayed directly to God for them.

‌I ask: Do you pray for people like that? We should! For it is this kind of praying which characterized the life of Paul and the life of the early church. When they prayed something happened. It gets something done. Let us now come to the prayer itself. Paul's prayer for these Christians at Colossae involves 5 definite petitions. Let us now consider the first one.

I.

‌Consider, first of all, this great man of prayer prays that the believers at Colossae will have PERCEPTION for KNOWING God's WILL. Paul writes in verse 9: “that you might be filled with the . . .