Colossians 4:12

Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.

I love that phrase wrestling in prayer. That is certainly not a cursory little before dinner prayer. That is a prayer involving deep thought and longing. I see the image of Jacob wrestling with God. And the wrestling mentioned in this passage is not even personal but it is for others. Who should you be wrestling in prayer about today?

(As I was writing the above words, I received a facebook friend request. I think I know who I'm supposed to pray for.)

Lord, Thank you for the gift of prayer. Lord you know who I'm praying for. Amen.

Colossians 4:6

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

I have thought a lot over the last year or so about our reactions and how important our reactions to situations are. the way we automatically react show so much about who we are on the inside. If our conversation is always full of grace, seasoned with salt, then even in difficult situations it will be the same. If we allow ourselves to fly off the handle, then we certainly will in difficult situations.

Lord, only with your help can we always keep our conversation full of grace season with salt. Lord, help us to know how to answer everyone in every situation. Amen.

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Everything we do, we do to the glory of God, from the great to the mundane, even to our jobs. A few verses later in verse 23 we are told "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,".

Lord , I pray that everything I do, I do to your glory, in your name, giving thanks to God, and with all my heart. Amen.

Colossians 3:16

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Singing encompasses so many areas of our Christian walk. In this passage alone shows teaching, admonishing, and thankfulness.

Lord, Thank you for the gift of song. Amen.

Colossians 3:2

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

This passage is discussing our earthly natures. He passages before this say human rules lack value in restraining sensual indulgence. So my question was, "What does?". The next few verses answer that question with setting our minds on things above and not earthly things. My struggle is with food. My "desire and greed, which is idolatry (v. 5)" causes me to overeat. In the past few years I have worked on this struggle and have lost a significant amount of weight, but the struggle is still there and I still need to lose more. I have never wanted to put my struggle with food into the spiritual reaalm, but I think I have to finally admit that it is idolatry. God gives me the answer. Set my mind on things above and not earthly things. If I am studying and focusing on God I will not be focusing on food. When I am sitting around and watching TV and focusing on earthly things, then I'm focusing on food.

Lord, I want to set my mind on things above and not on earthly things. Please help me with my struggle with food. Amen.

Colossians 1:17

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

The verses before this one are talking about the creation and how it was all created in Christ. This verse has a couple of meanings for me . First,  it almost seems to have something to do with the fabric of the universe or the molecules used to create everything or something like that. Something very fundamental and "sciency". Second, this verse lets me know that when my world is falling apart, Christ holds all things together. Christ is there to support us.

Lord, you are so amazing. You knitted together the fabric of our universe. You created a son to be your image. Your son holds all things together. Amen.

Colossians 1:11

being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,

In this scripture Paul is praying for the Colossian church.  We have all heard that praying for patience and endurance might be a dangerous thing because to learn these things we have to experience them, but by tapping into God's power and might we are tapping into an infinite resource. God can get us through any situation that requires great endurance or patience.

Dear Lord, please strengthen me with all power according to your glorious might so that I may have great endurance and patience. Amen.

Colossians 1:1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

An apostle by the will of God, that statement really made me think. I'm a Christian by the will of God. That is so powerful. I'm a Christian not because I chose to follow Christ but because God chose for me to follow Christ. I certainly had a choice not to, but without God's will involved he would not be possible for me to follow Christ.

Lord,  thank you so much for choosing me to be a Christian. Please help me to always follow your will. Thank you for your guidance. Amen.