DATE WRITTEN: Wednesday, 2020-08-05
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Colossians 1:9-11
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁹ Since the day we got this good news about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We ask:
Father, may they clearly know Your will and achieve the height and depth of spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰ May their lives be a credit to You, Lord; and what’s more, may they continue to delight You by doing every good work and growing in the true knowledge that comes from being close to You. ¹¹ Strengthen them with Your infinite power, according to Your glorious might, so that they will have everything they need to hold on and endure hardship patiently and joyfully. 

OBSERVATION: What do we do at times like we are currently going through where many people that we know might be hurt, or impacted by the effects of COVID 19 – a worldwide pandemic? We tend to try and escape hurting people, but what if we were to pray for one another like Paul and Timothy prayed for the church at Colassae? They specifically prayed that the church might endure hardship patiently and joyfully. Let’s look for some tips from a key spiritual leader in the New Testament, and see if we could help those in need in our church and community.

APPLICATION: My wife had surgery on her knee that forced her into a wheelchair, especially while trying to take care of the family grocery shopping in a major retail store. She was amazed how Friends and acquaintances tried to avoid coming into contact with her. I know, they probably didn’t know how to ask her what was wrong, but don’t you think that we tend to be the same way when we know a needy person is ahead also? It sounds cruel and extremely mean to say that out loud, but I wonder how many are guilty of that. Paul probably knew this might happen to those friends at Colassae as well, but he was overwhelmed over the good news reported by his fellow evangelist, that these folk were loving on others without hesitation and more than anyone could expect from a group suffering hardship. So let’s see how Paul teaches us to help with this, for he prayed that God might:
1. Clearly know the will of the Father – don’t you know that it would be a lot easier to accept your circumstances, if you knew the will of the Father who is watching over you? Wouldn’t that ease a lot of the stress?
2. Learn from their experience – in fact, may they get a clearer understanding of what the Father is achieving through their circumstance. May they have eyes opened to see at the greatest heights and with the deepest wisdom and understanding. Often we are so fixed on our own selfish desires that we struggle to see what is happening in the lives of others;
3. May their lives be a credit to You, Lord – Oh that we might catch a glimpse of how God feels about our efforts to minister here on earth! If only we knew that our lives and efforts are valuable to the Master! Wouldn’t it be a joy to know that someone was praying for you in this respect?
4. May they continue to delight You, God – by doing every good work, and as they learn more about You. May this all serve to draw them closer to You, Father.
Friends, I believe it is obvious that if we follow Paul, in praying like he did, for our brothers and sisters who are enduring hardships, we will actually bring joy to our prayer-life, and reassurance in our faith, as we see God doing His work in their lives. Our friends will be drawn to Christ as they see Him moving in their lives, for way too often we all tend to feel like our lives are a mess, or we are going through hardships, because no one cares. So let me recommend that you pray one for another during these stressful times. Our God never changes, even though we may go through awful times of change.

PRAYER: Precious Lord, thank You for caring for Your children. Surely there are many times that we don’t deserve Your love, for we mess up way too often, but we are children of the King in need of a gentle redirection and meticulous guiding in this challenging life. Please teach us to look at the needs and struggles of others, especially those that may sit next to us in church, or work alongside us every day, or family members, or even close fiends. Please soften our hearts to be like Yours, oh God. The world needs more of You, not the selfish, critical spirit that we may tend to display. We need You precious Lord! Please be our Guide, our Deliverer and our Strength in ever walk of life, especially before our friends who are enduring hardships during this critical time of life here on earth. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!