Read Colossians 1:1-14
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy our brother: 2 To the saints in Christ at Colossae, who are faithful brothers and sisters. Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints 5 because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. You have already heard about this hope in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. It is bearing fruit and growing all over the world, just as it has among you since the day you heard it and came to truly appreciate God’s grace. 7 You learned this from Epaphras, our dearly loved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 and he has told us about your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, 10 so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. 14 In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Reflect
1. As you read Paul’s thanksgiving over the Colossians’ salvation, take a minute to think about your own salvation. Is your heart grateful for it? Do you rejoice in the fact that the gospel has come to you?
2. After rejoicing over their salvation, Paul indicates that he’s praying for their growth, too. He prays that they’d grow in knowledge, character, and that they’d bear fruit. How are you growing in these three areas? Are you learning more about God and His Word? Overcoming sin and growing in holiness? Bearing fruit? If so, pray for more. If not, pray for help.
Prayer
• The greatest burden on your heart.
• One person who does not know Jesus Christ.
• God’s continued favor on our church as we move forward in 2019 and beyond.
• That you would know and love God more at the end of 2019 than ever before.