Colossians 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
As the apostle Paul is coming to the close of this letter to the body of believers in Colosse, he urges them to make prayer a priority in their personal and corporate lives. Their pastor was a man of prayer, for Paul would write: “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” (Colossians 4:12) Here is the apostle Paul, sitting in a prison cell, urging the body of Christ to make prayer a priority in their lives.
When the church came into being on the Day of Pentecost, one of the daily activities of the church was to engage in both personal and corporate prayer (Acts 2:42). The Lord Jesus Himself as Son of Man was not only a man of prayer, but He also taught how important it is to pray and keep on praying. Prayer is one of the most precious gifts from God. For sure it is our Father opening up His throne of grace to us for help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16), but it is also that open door of communing with Him throughout the day.
It is through prayer that divine guidance is given as we seek to walk in the will and purposes of God in our lives. It is through prayer that we approach The Father to receive cleansing and forgiveness when we sin. It is through prayer with one another that we find healing when we confess our faults one to another. It is during those times of private prayer that we take in the very presence of God and oxygen of heaven into our souls. It is during time of corporate prayer that we lift one another up to God. The purpose of prayer is to discover God’s will, not mine. “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)
“Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy Name”, were the first words of Jesus in His answer to the disciples request, “Lord, teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1,2) Our Father. Prayer is a family activity, for the body of Christ IS a family. The church is not a business. The church is not a corporation. The Church is a family, and there is only One to Whom we go for help and strength and wisdom and guidance and direction. And we go directly to Abba in Jesus Name and for His glory.
Reader, is personal and corporate prayer a vital part of your spiritual journey with Jesus? Selah