PERSISTENT PRAYER FOR THE YOUNG BELIEVER
Col 1:7-14
You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
NIV
Paul's letter to the Colossians had the revelation of the deity of Christ as a central Subject. He also addressed how needful the spiritual maturity of the believer was of great importance and lastly informs on the state of the church address eliciting for prayer support.
Paul's approach and purpose of writing the book to the Colossians is timely. This dispensation capitalizes the questioning of the deity of Christ, postmodernity seemingly is becoming a license for many to sway and wander of the basic message of Christ. The State of the church address is one that has caught the attention of media and people daily question if God truly is with Christians.
Amidst crucial and compelling moments like this, the faith of the new convert sits on vibration. On the contrary, Paul's focus was to devote prayer daily without ceasing until Christ is formed in the new believer. At the heart of his prayer was asking God to fill the young believer with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. He further extends to praying as such in order that they may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
Paul wasn't just saying it. He meant it. They took the responsibility of the Spiritual growth of new converts on their shoulders. He emphasised the role of prayer and how needful it is in the life of the young believer's growth and experiential encounter with God.
The Church of God today must have another look at prayer. We must make it the burden to pray for all new members in the body of Christ. Wherever you find yourself, pray for a new believer, some of them battle with a manifold of weaknesses. Some need an extra push and conviction to keep on fighting. If you go out there to preach pray that the souls won, whether to your knowledge or not comes to know God more and more.
It worked for Paul and the Early church. I believe it Will work for us too.
REFLECTION
What will happen if Christians cease to pray?