Colossians 1:3-8 Devotional
May 7 – Colossians 1:3-8
FAITHFUL SERVANTS OF CHRIST
Today, we continue our devotional on Colossians by looking at 1:3-8. The expression “we thank God” occurs frequently in the Pauline Epistles. The term implies both a statement of thanksgiving for what is received from God and an element of praise for God’s character which originated it. Paul’s thanksgiving occurred in prayer. While this may seem obvious, there are some subtleties that are interesting. The passage contains various synonyms for prayer. Together they demonstrate the importance of prayer for Paul. He could pray in times of difficulty, and he could pray in times of joy.
Since Paul often emphasized the activity of prayer, he wanted to share the fact that he actually remembered them in prayer. The joys and concerns of the Colossian congregation meant enough to Paul that he prayed about them. When this is compared with the other epistles, a sizable impression emerges regarding the extent of Paul’s prayer life. He prayed for all the churches. Several factors appear regarding Paul’s prayers. First, they were continual. The church was regularly in Paul’s mind and thoughts. Second, the prayer was directed to God. Finally, the prayers were intercessory, “when we pray for you.”
Let’s take a look at today’s verse:
3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit. (NASB)
Key Takeaways:
- Paul was a man of prayer and so should we be people of prayer.
- The gospel bears fruit in believers and grows all over the world
- Saved by grace alone