DEC 25

Colossians 4:12
Memorise Acts 1:14
“…always laboring fervently for you in prayers…”

In Colossians 4:12, Paul now turns to “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” As you recall from Colossians 1:7, Epaphras was sent by Paul to pastor the Colossian church, being ordained a minister. He then reported back to Paul about the good testimony of the Colossians. Colossians 4:12 now informs us that Epaphras was originally from Colossae (“one of you”) just as Onesimus was. Although Epaphras was physically in Rome with Paul, his heart was with the church in prayer. The words “laboring fervently” describe how intense his prayers for the flock were, as one that is striving intensely in his supplications for them. His prayers were not just one-off short term prayers, for these words are preceded by the term “always”. Also note that what Epaphras prayed for was the same as what Paul desired for the flock, that the congregation strive towards Christian maturity (compare the rest of Colossians 4:12 with Colossians 1:28). How wonderful it is when both the pastor and supervisory pastor of a congregation are of the same mind and of the same spirit! How wonderful is corporate prayer when everyone prays for the same thing in the Lord, and such united prayer ascends to God above!

Once a year, the teens in Calvary Pandan who come to the Teens Camp in church will attend the Tuesday night prayer meeting. When it comes to the time of corporate prayer, some teens cannot stomach the length of the 45 minute prayer session, and like the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, they fall asleep instead of heeding the call to watch and pray. There is a blessing to wrestle in prayer, to agonise over the many needs in church and in the lives of our brethren, instead of giving in to the desire to nap. There is a blessing to come every Tuesday night, week after week, year after year, to labour in prayer. Most of all, there is a blessing to understand the needs of each ministry and pray for them: like unto Paul and Epaphras, we must not just pray for our own needs and concerns in prayer meetings, we must also pray specifically for other brethren and the needs of the ministries and missions of the church. That is why the prayer list is so long, because it states what the needs of each ministry are, so that our prayers are truly united in the Lord. If it is possible, make it a point to come and join in your church’s prayer meeting, and be united in prayer.

Thought: Do I know the specific needs of each ministry if I stay at home?
Prayer: May I join in corporate prayer more often as much as I am able.