OCT 7

Colossians 1:7-11
Memorise Philippians 3:13
“…do not cease to pray for you...”

Upon hearing the good report about the Colossians, anyone in Paul’s shoes would naturally react as he did in verse 5 to rejoice and praise God. However, Paul did not stop there. In verse 9-11, he prayed earnestly that the Colossians would continue towards spiritual maturity. He reinforced the importance of the Colossians to not be complacent with their testimony thus far, but instead continue to walk close to God and being strengthened for the inevitable trials to come. Indeed, chapter 2 will speak about certain issues that the church will have to maturely tackle. The repeated emphasis in both verse 3 and 9 of Paul continually praying for the Colossians should remind us that continuing towards spiritual maturity is a constant battle that requires unceasing prayers and reliance on God.

When we see things are smooth sailing in our walk with the Lord, it is so easy for us to think we can congratulate ourselves and simply maintain what we are doing. Instead, we should remember it is important to strive towards spiritual maturity, which is something even the apostle Paul always knew he himself had not yet achieved (Philippians 3:13). The minute we stop growing, we are in danger of backsliding. When we are complacent, anytime our hearts feel that a trial is too hard to bear, it will cause us to backslide further. In our Christian walk, we cannot be standing still; we must either be pressing upwards, or we will be in a spiritual decline. Pray that God will enable you to constantly abound in your spiritual lives. Also, when we read of the good reports of other churches, do pray that they will likewise continue on to spiritual maturity, instead of simply assuming that they do not have any prayer needs.

Thought: Am I complacent in my Christian walk?
Prayer: May I always be moving forwards in my walk, not backwards.