Pray for the Church

Weekly Update – January 12th, 2023

Many times when we pray for members in the church, it is easy to remember requests that are spoken, lift up those who might be on our prayer list, or pray for those we know in our classes or in our groups.  But when we take a look at the apostle Paul’s prayers for the different churches, we notice that he might mention his concerns about other’s health (Phil. 2:27; 2 Tim. 4:20), but more often than not, his concern is with a church’s growth in faith towards God and love towards one another.  Therefore, this year, in 2023, I want to challenge you with a prayer for First Baptist Church.  That prayer can be found in Colossians 1:9-14.

As we look at Colossians 1:9-14, there are three specific aspects to Paul’s prayer for the church at Colossae.  First, he prays that the church would bear fruit (1:10).  Second, he prays that the church would be strengthened with power (1:11).  Third, he prays that the church would be thankful (1:12).  These prayers come with a foundation though.  In Colossians 1:12-13, Paul reminds the church that they have been qualified to share in an everlasting inheritance from God the Father, because of the work of Jesus Christ.  Christ has come, lived, died and rose again, so that not only those in Colossae, but so that you and I might be delivered from the domain of darkness, forgiven of our sins, and set into a new kingdom.  Therefore, to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him” (Col. 1:10), Paul prays what he does for this church in 1:10-12, but he prays confidently, fully expecting his prayers to be answered, because he knows that Christ is at work in them.

Colossians 1:9-14 isn’t the only example of a prayer that we can pray for the church though. In Ephesians 3:16-17, Paul prays for the Ephesian church to be strengthened with power through the Holy Spirit, so that Christ might dwell in their hearts through faith.  In Philippians 1:9-11, he prays that the Philippians’ love would abound more and more so that they might be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.  In 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, Paul thanks God for the Thessalonians “work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”  You can find examples like these all throughout the New Testament for encouragement in how to pray for others that you are united with in church.

But what if I don’t know everyone?   Especially now, with the amount of people who have recently joined our church, it might be easy to think that it is impossible to expand your prayer circle beyond those that you know.  Well, let me suggest to you three ways that you can pray for the church, even if you don’t know everyone:

First, pray for adult equipping classes, children’s Sunday school classes, home groups, Awana workers and students, and those involved in other ministries of the church.  Pray that those who attend may bear fruit, be strengthened with power and grow in their thankfulness to the Lord.

Second, pray for those who attend our worship services.  Pray that through the singing, hearing the preached word, times of fellowship, etc, that those who are here would bear fruit, be strengthened with power and grow in their thankfulness to the Lord. 

Third, pray through our church directory.  Our directory has changed significantly in the last several years.  In fact, we haven’t had a physical one made since 2016.  With the change in membership that continuously occurs, we now have one that is online for you to access.  It has the names of our members and is always being updated with those who join our church. 

As we are now in 2023 and you perhaps commit to new goals in your life, commit also to praying for the church.  Continue to pray for those you are close to, those on our prayer list and other requests that you know, but also consider the prayer of Paul in Colossians 1:9-14.  Pray that together, we as God’s people, would bear fruit, be strengthened with power and be filled with thankfulness. 

Serving Him with You,
Pastor Michael Nelson