A Model for Prayer COLOSSIANS 1:10B-14

Let’s continue using Paul’s prayer for the Colossians as a model. Yesterday, we made note of the first two requests—understanding God’s will and living a worthy life. Now let’s consider the other four:

• To bear fruit in every good work (v. 10b)—The Lord desires that our actions bring Him glory. We all seem to be very busy, but are the activities that fill our time eternally valuable?
• To grow in the knowledge of God (v. 10b)—Through books, sermons, and technology, a wealth of information about the Bible is available. But the apostle’s request is not merely for believers to gain facts regarding Christ. He speaks of an understanding in the heart, not simply a mental grasp of knowledge.
• To be strengthened according to His power (v. 11)—We are weak when relying upon our own strength. Sometimes it takes being driven to our knees before we relinquish control and instead trust in God’s awesome power. Having endurance and focus in the midst of life’s trials requires energy beyond our own.
• To walk in gratitude (v. 12)—When we realize where all good gifts originate, we can live with thankfulness. Contentment and joy comes from a grateful heart, not from circumstances.

In the busyness of life today, prayer often gets squeezed out of our schedules. But communion with the Lord is vital to a healthy, vibrant relationship with Him. Remember that lifting our loved ones before God’s throne is far more important than many tasks which seem more pressing.

Willing to Suffer?

And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.

Mark 15:23

A golden truth is couched in the fact that the Savior pushed the myrrhed wine-cup from His lips. On the heights of heaven the Son of God stood of old, and as He looked down upon our globe He measured the long descent to the utmost depths of human misery. He considered the sum total of all the agonies that expiation would require and didn’t shrink. He solemnly determined that to offer a sufficient atoning sacrifice He must go the whole way, from the highest to the lowest, from the throne of highest glory to the cross of deepest woe. This myrrhed cup, with its anesthetic influence, would have prevented Him from experiencing the utter limit of misery, and therefore He refused it.

He would not stop short of all He had undertaken to suffer for His people. How many of us have cried for comfort in our grief to keep us from injury! Reader, did you never pray to be relieved of hard service or suffering with a petulant and willful eagerness? In a moment providence has taken from you the desire of your eyes. Say, Christian, if you were told, “If you want, your loved one will live, but God will be dishonored,” could you have put away the temptation and said, “Your will be done”?

It is good to be able to say, “My Lord, if for other reasons I do not need to suffer, yet if I can honor You more by suffering, and if the loss of my earthly goods will bring You glory, then let it be. I refuse the comfort if it stands in the way of Your honor.” Let us learn to walk in the footsteps of our Lord, cheerfully enduring trial for His sake, promptly and willingly putting away the thought of self and comfort when it would interfere with our completing the work that He has given us to do. Great grace is needed, but great grace is provided.