Paul had never met the people of the Colosse church. But his love for them was strong and when he heard they had fallen into deception by some false teachers, he was grieved in his heart. He felt a deep agony in his spirit. In fact, grief was a common reaction to the apostle’s heart whenever he heard of churches that had drifted from the truth of God’s Word. This grief led him to do two things: send a letter of correction to them and pray for them.
In recent days, we have witnessed unbelievable things in the church: Christian companies turning away from biblical values, sins of pastors exposed, high-profile Christians with large platforms adopt warped theology, cultural ideologies invade congregations. Here’s the thing… when we see this happening, we need to have the same reaction that Paul had… we need to grieve deeply. Because grief brings us to our knees. Prayer is our strongest weapon we have. Our prayers can make a difference. We need to pray for those who have gone astray, pray for pastors under great pressure from the world, and pray for vulnerable souls following deceptive spirits.
In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he offers a powerful prayer. One of the things he prays for is that God would give them spiritual wisdom and understanding. This is what we need too. Not just wisdom and understanding, but SPIRITUAL wisdom and understanding. The real fight is in the spiritual realm, so we need to see and understand from a spiritual perspective. Spiritual wisdom and understanding will help us to discern right from wrong. Paul’s prayer to this congregation is mighty. It may be just the tool we need today as we think of someone. Insert your name or someone else’s name in the blanks from Colossians 1:9-11:
Dear Lord, I have not stopped praying for _________________. I ask God that you give ________________ complete knowledge of your will and that you give __________________ spiritual wisdom and understanding. Lord, I pray that you would strengthen _________________ with all your glorious power so they will have all the endurance and patience they need. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Apathy is not what we need in this day. We need to grieve and pray. Hope this encourages you to use Scripture as a powerful way to pray for you, your loved ones, and for the church.