Seeds for 1/6/2023 - Colossians 1:9a

Scripture: “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you.”

Observation: What is “this reason” that has led Paul, Timothy, and likely others, to constant prayer for the Colossian Christians? Reading the paragraph above, which we’ve looked at the past several days, the reason is that they have been taught about God’s grace and “truly understood” it, resulting in hope in the gospel promise, faith in Christ, and love for others. Epaphras planted the gospel of grace and it is yielding a harvest among the Colossians, just as it has in other places too. Yet, the journey of faith is lifelong. Faithfulness must endure. We grow or we stagnate. We continue to invest in our foundation or cracks appear from time to time.

In other words, they are off to a great beginning, but ultimately it’s not how you start the race, it’s how you finish. Besides, the seed (gospel message) can get planted and grow initially, but fail to thrive for the long haul because the soil isn’t conducive to producing good, strong roots (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23).

So, Paul and his friends fertilize the Colossians’ faith with prayer.

Application: Whose faith may I pray for today, that it may continue to grow and deepen, bearing fruit over time?

Prayer: Lord, grant your Spirit to work within me, that my faith may actively grow for a lifetime and not spring up only for season. Amen.

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“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)

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