Perhaps you have wanted to pray for a friend and didn’t know what to say. When a friend is sick or in trouble, what to pray for is usually obvious. But what about the so-called normal times? What do we say to God after “Please bless my friend”? Paul and Timothy’s travel took them to many cities. They met dozens of people, yet they were concerned about each young church and each young believer. They had heard good things about the
church at Colosse and wanted the people there to keep up the good work. They wrote to encourage and teach them. The missionaries wanted the Colossians’ faith to grow, so they prayed long and hard for them. Here are three ways that Timothy and Paul prayed for their friends, which you can follow too.
- ASK FOR MORE WISDOM: The Colossians faced many challenges, and their missionary friends wanted them to make good decisions. Ask God to reveal his wisdom to your friends too (vs. 9).
- ASK FOR MORE OBEDIENCE: Listening to God and doing what he knows is best can be difficult for new believers. Like people in the New Testament churches, your friends are growing in their obedience and need your prayers. Pray that the way they live will please the Lord and honor him (vs. 10).
- ASK FOR MORE STRENGTH: Living a life faithful to God is not for sissies. Just life the Colossians, your friends need patience and endurance. Pray that they will be filled with God’s strength (vs. 11).
COLOSSIANS 1:9-12
9. So ever since we first heard about you we have kept on praying and asking God to help you understand what he wants you to do; asking him to make you wise about spiritual things.
10. And asking that the way you live will always please the Lord and honor him, so that you will always be doing good, kind things for others, while all the time you are learning to know God better and better.
11. We are praying, too, that you will be filled with his mighty, glorious strength so that you can keep going no matter what happens-always full of the joy of the Lord.
12. And always thankful to the Father who has made us fit to share all the wonderful things that belong to those who live in the Kingdom of light. (KAB)
//