Always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and
complete in all the will of God. —Col. 4:12
Just before John Ashcroft was being sworn in as a US senator, he met with
family and friends for prayer. As they gathered around him, he saw his dad
trying to get up from the couch where he sat. Since his father was in frail
health, Ashcroft told him ”That’s okay, Dad. You don’t have to stand up to
pray for me.”
His father replied: ”I’m not struggling to stand up. I’m struggling to
kneel.”
His father’s effort reminds me of the exertion it sometimes takes to
intercede for a fellow believer. In Colossians, Paul refers to Epaphras as a
bondservant who is always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you
may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Col. 4:12).
“Laboring fervently is the translation of a Greek word from which we get our
word agony. It was used of wrestlers who in the Greek gymnastic games
strained to overcome an opponent.
Epaphras interceded for other believers to become mature in their walk with
the Savior. Asking God to overcome obstacles to spiritual growth in the
lives of others requires our concentration and discipline. Are we willing to
labor fervently in prayer to ask God to meet the needs of our loved ones?
[copied – note: remember we have limited internet access so grif.net will
continue to be sporadic for another week or so]
~~
Dr Bob Griffin
[email protected] www.grif.net
“Jesus Knows Me, This I Love!”