A life of prayer and gratitude

Colossians 1

Thanksgiving and Prayer
3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— 5the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.

Reading this passage is a challenge for me. I have wonderful friends around me and I think about them often, but how often do I just sit in gratitude and in prayer for these dear friends of mine. In reality, it is not very often that I thank God or even pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ. Oh, how I cringe to say that. It is amazing to share life with those who are living to glorify God. Their faith produces fruit and they grow into lovely people. God puts specific people in our lives to spur us on as believers and also, to encourage us to live a live worthy of the gospel. I am thankful for those friends in my life. I am thankful to see them live out a life that is not the American dream, that is not normal, and a life that is so risky. This life produces faith and perseverance. Paul is so good at remembering those around him that are living a life of faith in Jesus Christ. I want daily to not only remember my friends but also remember everyone who has said yes to follow Jesus (missionaries, pastors, youth ministers, friends, daily employers). Everyone that I know that has a life that has been transformed I want to remember, ponder on, and indeed pray for with thanksgiving.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10And we pray this in order that you may live a lifeworthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

Today I will spend some time in prayer specifically for those who are my brothers and sisters in Christ. Will you do the same?