Hello Advent Family,

Have you ever had someone pray for you and it just felt extra special and powerful. I can think of several times in my life where I have experienced this. Prayer is always powerful but sometimes it feels a little bit extra special.  I can remember a youth Pastor praying for me when I was facing a tough situation. I can remember a worship leaders prayers for me as I was about to step on stage and preach at a large conference for the first time. I can remember a lady form the church just knocking on my office door and asking if she could pray for me. These prayers can be an incredible blessing in our lives. The prayer Paul written in Colossians 1 feels extra special to me as well. I often have prayed this exact prayer for people in my life. Let’s look it together today.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

There is nothing particularly unique or groundbreaking in this prayer. To me, it simply feels complete. Paul asks for the church to receive knowledge, wisdom and understanding from the Spirit, to bear fruit, to be strengthened with all power, to have endurance and patience, and that they might give thanks to God.  He finally throws in a reminder about what Jesus has done and then goes on in chapter 1 to talk about how awesome Jesus truly is. If we can pray for each other in such a way and remind each other about just how awesome Jesus is I bet God would do some amazing things in and though our lives. May we be a people who pray boldly and mightily for each other. We all need it!

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave