Prayer and Perseverance

This past week, I received an email which I’d like to read to you. It seems the author’s first language wasn’t English, so try to look past the broken grammar, if you can.

The opening line said “Donation from Mrs. Josan Nowak,” and here was the body of the letter: “My dear beloved one, this is Mrs. Josan Nowak. I am married to Mr. Nowak, who worked with the embassy in United Kingdom for nine years before he died. We were married for eleven years without a child. He died after a brief illness that lasted for only four days. Before his death, both were born again Christian. Since his death I decided not to remarry or get a child outside my matrimonial home which the Bible is against. When my husband was alive he deposited the sum of $3.5 million in the bank here in the Abidjan suspense account.

“Currently, the fund is still in the bank. Recently, my doctor told me that I have serious sickness which is a cancer problem. What disturbs me most is my stroke sickness. Knowing my condition I decided to donate this fund to church or those who utilize this money the way I would recommend here. I want a church that will use this fund for orphanages, widows, to promote the word of God and the effort that the house of God is maintained.”

The final paragraphs say: “I do not need telephone communication in this regard because of my health hence the presence of my husband's relatives around me always and I do not want them to know about this development. In God all things are possible. As soon as I get an answer I will give you contact of the bank here in Abidjan. I want you and the church to always pray for me because the lord is my shepherd. My happiness is that I lived a life worthy Christian. Whoever wants to serve the lord must serve him in spirit and in truth. Always praying for their whole lives.

“Reply me for more information, in your reply will give me room in sourcing another church or person for the same purpose. Let me assure you that they will act accordingly as specified. Hope to get an answer.” Then I was asked to respond with my full name, address, age, phone number, occupation, and a photo.

As you probably already know, that email is quietly sitting in the trash can waiting to be deleted permanently.

But why would I turn down the opportunity to gain $3.5 million? It’s not because I don’t think I could use the money. It’s not because I have no heart for a dying widow. It’s because an email like that has zero credibility. I don’t trust the messenger, so I don’t trust the message.

Credibility has always been a key component of society. You want credibility when you choose a bank or a real estate agent or a financial planner. And credibility matters when someone tells you about a new restaurant or a new recipe you should try.

How much more important, then, is credibility when it comes to God and eternity? How can you know whether the message is real or not?

This was the major issue the churches in the first century had to deal with. Christianity was growing, but many the gospels and letters of the New Testament still had not been written or copied or distributed. Apart from the Old Testament, people weren’t all relying on a written text of Christ’s message. They were relying on the message of a preacher.

The Apostle Paul had been affirmed, not jut by Jesus’ Himself, but by the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus. But as Christianity spread, there began to be more churches that did not have direct contact with Paul. The church of the Colossians was one of those churches.

From what we can tell in piecing together the story, sometime during Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, a man names Epaphras was converted to the faith, and he ended up heading back to Colossae where he was from. Due to his preaching, the gospel was spread, and a church began.

It’s a joyful thing for a new church to begin, but just like with a newborn baby, there are also a lot of potential dangers. This church was now open to attacks from false teachers. And when someone comes with a false gospel, they are going to come attacking the credibility of the true gospel.

This is what was happening with the Colossians. There was a danger there for the people, not so much that they would abandon Jesus altogether, but that they would mix their faith in Christ with Jewish and pagan elements which would undo the gospel.

And so, Paul writes the letter we know as Colossians. This is a very encouraging letter. There is encouragement on an emotional level, but also at an intellectual and practical level. Paul wants this church to feel encouraged, and to be encouraged toward truth and holiness. He wants the church to persevere. He wants to do whatever he can to make sure the people don’t fall away from the truth.

Hopefully, that’s the same kind of desire we have for one another. We need to recognize that the risk is always there. Any one of us can stray into erroneous doctrine and a sinful lifestyle. And all of us have a responsibility to keep one another on track.

Theologically, we know that true salvation can never be lost. If Christ has paid for someone’s sins, that cannot be undone. A Christians is united to Christ’s death and resurrection eternally. Sometimes that doctrine is called the perseverance of the saints. But we also need to understand two important aspects of that doctrine.

Number 1, it’s possible for someone to appear to be saved, or to believe he is saved, but actually not be saved. Self-deception is a very real possibility. And the prime example of that is Judas who would have been baptized along with everybody else.

A second aspect to remember is that God’s protection of His own children’s salvation is not going to be detached from earthly means. God has ordained who will be saved, but He has also ordained how that gets accomplished from a human perspective.

The preservation of God’s own comes through teaching and through warnings and through exhortation. It also comes through prayer. Today, I want to share two important principles about prayer, and the first is this: Prayer is a key ingredient for perseverance. Prayer is a key ingredient for perseverance.

This is one the lessons we learn from Paul’s prayer for the Colossians. Yes, if your child or friend is saved, that cannot be undone, but that doesn’t mean you should stop encouraging the in the faith or stop praying for them. Prayer is a key ingredient for perseverance.

As Paul begins to express his prayers for this church, he encourages them by affirming the credibility of their faith. Look with me at Colossians 1, verse 3. Colossians 1:3.

For Paul, this is a prayer of thanksgiving, but for the Colossians, this is an encouragement.

Colossians 1:3—We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, [4] since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, [5] because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, [6] which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, [7] just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf [8] and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

In verse 4, Paul affirms the church’s faith and love, and he says those are the manifestation of their hope in heaven. According to verse 5, this heavenly hope is what they originally heard in the gospel, and it’s the same gospel, according to verse 6, that is being preached all around the world. That’s the gospel that is bearing fruit in their lives. That’s the gospel that Epaphras preached to them.

So, Paul encourages the church, not just by praying for them, but by sharing with them the content of his prayers as a way to affirm them.

Let me just pause right there and encourage you to start doing that kind of thing. It’s good when you pray for someone, and it’s good to tell someone else, “I’m praying for you.” But it can be even more impactful if you actually share you’re prayers with them, or pray with them in person so they can hear you.

This is what Jesus did in John 17 when He prayed for the disciples. He was instructing and encouraging them as He prayed for them. You and I can do the same thing when we allow our brothers and sisters to hear our prayers for them.

Paul’s prayer here is in the second person; he’s talking to them. But what if we were to express it in the third person, as a prayer to God about them, rather than a letter to them? What effect would it have had if Paul showed up in their church one day and said it like this?

“Father God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, I thank You because of the faith this church has in Christ Jesus and because of the love they have for all the saints. This is because of the hope laid up for them in heaven, the hope they have heard about in the gospel. Thak You that Your gospel has come to them, just like it’s gone out to the whole world bearing fruit and increasing, just like it’s done here ever since they heard and understood the truth from Epaphras, a faithful minister of Christ, and a faithful messenger of this church’s love in the Spirit.”

Don’t you think a prayer like that would have encouraged and affirmed the church? It affirms to them that the authenticity and the power of the gospel message. It also affirms Epaphras as a messenger of the gospel and encourages them to continue in faith and love.

The message of Jesus Christ is not going to appeal to those who pursue worldly wisdom. It’s not going to appeal to those who want to gain salvation by their own righteousness. This is a message that the world has rejected, but it’s the true message nonetheless, and it is powerful.

Paul is grateful for what the Lord has done, and as his prayer continues, He asks for God to continue working. Paul understands that his own prayers are part of how God will work to preserve this church. He understands that prayer is a key ingredient for perseverance in the faith.

So, here’s how the prayer continues in verse 9—And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

That’s the doctrinal and intellectual component of the faith. They need to know God’s will. They need to know what God wants from them. But they also need wisdom and understanding so they can put it into practice. And that’s what verse 10 says. This is why they need wisdom—so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

That’s what the Spirit of God will produce in them, but it’s also what Paul prays for. He is praying for something God has already promised to do because prayer is part of how that happens. And the same is true for perseverance in the faith.

Look at verse 11. Again, this is Paul wants for them—being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; [12] giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

This church—just like you and me, and just like our kids and our brothers and sisters in the Lord—this church needs strength and power to endure, to persevere with patience and joy and thanksgiving.

Again, Paul knows a Christian can’t lose his salvation, but he’s praying that they will keep trusting in Christ and walking in obedience to Him. Prayer is a key ingredient for perseverance.

Now, I assume most of us don’t measure up to the consistency we see in Paul. He always thanks God. He doesn’t cease to pray. He is faithful in prayer.

And with that example, we get a second lesson for today about prayer, which is this: Perseverance is a key ingredient for prayer. Perseverance is a key ingredient for prayer.

The reason so many of us struggle to pray faithfully is because we lack perseverance in prayer.

It’s like looking online to find the secret to running a marathon. Wearing the right kind of shoes and eating the right kind of food is going to help, but nothing is going to erase the need for perseverance.

A lot of times, we want a more fulfilling, or a more effective, prayer life, and we’re looking for some kind of secret, but we don’t want to put the work into it, like Jesus did when snuck away to be alone or woke up while it was still dark.

Paul not only models faithful prayer for us. He gives us instruction. Jump with me over to Colossians chapter 4. The rest of chapter 1 unpacks the glory of Christ and the heart of Paul in ministry. Chapter 2 warns against the false messages that were threatening the church. Chapter 3 is a call to holiness. But as Paul comes to a close in chapter 4, we find some general instructions, and that includes instructions about prayer.

Look at Colossians 4, verse 2. Here are Paul’s words to the church, and God’s words to us—Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

This is a call to endurance. Our prayers should be continual, they should be watchful, and they should be thankful. Those are three descriptions Paul gives in the verse: continual, watchful, and thankful.

The first word steadfast talks about a readiness and a devotion. The word was used for a personal assistant always ready to do what his master commanded. That’s the posture we’re supposed to have with regard to prayer—always ready, always devoted to it.

The same word is used 4 times in the early chapters of Acts to talk about the early church being devoted to prayer and to one another.

Romans 12:12 also uses this word in a command—Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Everything we do, every day of the week, every moment of the day should be done in an attitude of prayer. We depend on God as we work for His glory.

The second word is watchful, which has the idea of being on the alert, being sober-minded. If an enemy is going to attack, and you’re the guard on duty, you don’t go to sleep, and you don’t start playing around. There needs to be a watchfulness in our prayers. Satan will attack. And if we’re not in an attitude of prayer, we will lose the battle.

That’s why Jesus said, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Lastly from this verse, in order to help us not be bitter about prayer or overwhelmed with the enemy, Paul says, “be thankful.” Pray with thanksgiving. Find things to praise God for.

As we go to verse 3, we can add a fourth word to the list. We should persevere in continual prayer, in watchful prayer, in thankful prayer, and now in ministerial prayer. We should pray for the work of the ministry.

Verses 3 and 4—At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— [4] that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

Keep in mind that the goal in all of this is not personal fulfilment or personal ritual. This is all about the glory of God, so we’re praying for these things so that more and more people who know God more and more. So, Paul says pray for a chance, pray for courage, and pray for clarity.

If you’re not sure what to pray, pray this: “God, give my brothers and sisters an opportunity to speak for Christ. Give them the boldness to declare the truth. And help them be clear when they speak.”

That’s what it takes for people to hear about Christ, isn’t it. You need a chance to speak. You need the courage to speak, and you need to speak clearly. So, pray for that. And don’t stop praying.

Near the end of the letter, Paul gives some final greeting and encouragements to the church, and he singles out several people. One of the people he points out is Epaphras, once again. And his exhortation is another remind that prayer isn’t easy. We need perseverance in our prayer life.

Look at verses 12 and 13 of chapter 4. Colossians 4:12-13.

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis.

Epaphras is a faithful servant of Christ. And how is his faithfulness expressed? He always struggles for them in his prayers. The Greek word is agonízomai. Epaphras agonizes for them in prayer. It’s a strain. It’s an effort.

What does that tell us? It tells us that prayer is a battle. Pray is not going to be easy. So, we need to persevere. We need to be ready.

In my own life, I see three major enemies to my prayer life. I’ve got my list with me, or I’ve got something already in mind, and what happens?

Number 1, I’m distracted. I’m praying about an issue, then I think about what’s next on my calendar or what I’m going to have for lunch, or something I need to ask my wife about. My brain goes everywhere. Praying is hard for me.

If I start praying in the shower, pretty soon, I’m reading the shampoo bottle again, as if I have any clue what those ingredients are. Prayer is a struggle.

And if there aren’t any internal distractions from my own mind, there are going to be external distractions, right? How long can I go before my phone dings? Why don’t I just shut it off before I start?

If I’m honest with myself, there’s a certain fondness to the distraction, and it’s wrong most of the time. I use the distraction to justify not praying or not working.

A second enemy in my prayer life is that I’m rushing. There may not be an immediate distraction on my mind, but there’s the distraction of something else I want to do.

We pray quickly before a meal because we’re hungry. We pray quickly before a meeting because we want to move things along. There’s a place for that when other people are around, but when you’re all by yourself, there’s no need to rush. We should be devoted to prayer. We should fight to pray. And many times, that fight means we slow things down. If talking to God matters, then we shouldn’t rush it. This is not perfunctory or obligatory, this is communion with a holy God who hears us.

Can you imagine if someone told you, “Hurry up! You talk to slow.” What would that communicate? How would you feel? Well, what does it say about our relationship with God when we’re in a rush to get on with our day, or whatever other plans we have?

A third enemy to my prayer life is that I’m tired. I’m distracted, I’m rushing, and I’m tired. Sometimes, I pray through a list of members, and I think, “That must have been like 10 minutes of prayer.” And then I look at the time, and it’s only been two minutes. Why does it feel like that? Because I’m tired; I’m not investing energy in what I’m doing.

That’s the difference between watching a movie you like and watching some training video for work. You don’t care about the training video. You’re not interested. There’s no energy. So it feels like it goes on forever.

That’s not how Paul prayed. That’s not how Epaphras prayed. And that’s not how God wants us to pray. We need to work hard at prayer. And we need to work harder.

And as a result, God is going to work powerfully through us, just like He did through Epaphras. The true gospel coupled with a true servant of Christ, will bear lasting fruit, and it will make a difference for eternity.