Be Thankful and Pray!

Have you thanked God for the people He's put in your life?

November 30, 2018

"We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,"

Colossians 1:3

“We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,”
In any occasion we have the opportunity to thank and praise our God, it is the right thing to do.

“We give thanks to God – Who is the author of all good; and from whom the grace, which has produced your conversion, has sprung by his mission of Christ Jesus.”1 (Clarke)

Paul was grateful for the believers in Colossae.  He did give God thanks for these brothers and sisters in the faith, as he did for the other churches as well.  It’s helpful to see that Paul is thankful for the people in the church here.

In ministry it is easy to forget to thank the Lord for the people that we are ministering to.  After all, because they are being served by us, they are the ones who should be thankful for us, the servants!  But this attitude forgets that ministry is a blessing and serving others is an opportunity given to the minister by God.  Paul’s example is good for all ministers – be thankful for those you minister to!

“Praying always2 for you,”
“I’m praying for you.”  What refreshing words these are to hear!  To know that someone is praying specifically for your need is a tremendous blessing.  When struggling through the trials of life with someone praying for you is an encouragement.  Prayer is a good way to make a difference in people’s lives.  I’m praying for you!

Believers, be honest!  When you say you will pray for someone, be sure you really do.  These words, “I’m praying for you” should never be idle words.  Keep your promises!  If you tell someone you are praying for them, then do it!

Has this happened to you?  You see someone on the fly, after a church service, or in the grocery store in passing, and they asked you to pray for them and you said you will, only to forget about it…  In the early years of ministry that happened to me many times until an older, wiser pastor made this suggestion.  When someone asks you to pray, if possible, bow and pray with them at that moment.  That was a big help.  Since then we’ve had impromptu prayer meetings at all hours and in many diverse places, from the aisle in a drugstore, to the sidelines of a football game, to the cabin of an airliner at 35,000 feet, to the front steps of the church house, to the flight line of a helicopter base, and in many, many other places.  Take the time to pray with those who ask you to pray.

In those times when there just wasn’t the opportunity to pray right then with the friend, I found I could still bow my heart to the Lord and pray for them.  If I couldn’t write the request down and I didn’t pray for it at the moment I was asked, I often forgot about it (shame on me).  And adding the request to your prayer list is still a good way to go.  The point is, find ways to help you remember to pray for those who ask you to.  A simple thought: If you care about the person, you will remember to pray for them.

Make a difference, thank God, and pray for others.

 

 

 

1.  Adam Clarke, Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.
2.  In this verse, Greek grammar allows for the word “always” to be used either with the phrase, “we give thanks to God,” or the phrase, “praying for you.”