By David ReayFriday 2 May 2014LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 0 minutes
Transcript:
Read Colossians 4:12
Epaphras,a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus,sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you,asking God to make you strong and perfect,fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. (NLT)
Chances are that if a fellow like Epaphras said he would pray for us then we could be pretty sure he would do just that. It seems that distance from his colleagues didn’t mean disinterest in them. He was constantly praying for them.
It is rather too easy to listen to someone sharing their life situation and then to tell them we will pray for them. It is also rather too easy to forget to do it! If this is habitual,then the phrase,”I will pray for you” is nothing more than a glib,thoughtless statement that just pops out of our mouths because we have nothing else to say.
Of course we can be forgetful at times,but when we promise someone we will pray for them we had better do just that. Best to do it on the spot,even in their company if the situation allows it. Or do it as soon as possible after making the statement. Such a prayer doesn’t have to be long or complex: God knows their situation in any case. Our prayers are our way of showing care for the person and our belief that God is at hand in that situation.
And if we do pray for someone else,it is good to let them know. How encouraging it can be to hear that someone is earnestly praying for us. So we not only pray,but let others know they are being prayed for. This keeps them encouraged and us honest.
Blessings
David Reay