“And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should” (Colossians 4:3-4)

Paul was in prison at the time he wrote this letter. He was there not as a murderer, thief or criminal but on the account of the gospel. Satan stirred up so much trouble for him (2 Cor. 12:7) that eventually it landed him in prison under guard. Yet it did nothing to stop the message from going out; if anything it advanced kingdom work. 

This is why Paul pauses in the middle of instructions on how to pray (Col 4:2) and asked for prayer himself. Because for his mission to succeed in prison he needed the power of prayer. His task was so great that these were the things he asked of them. Pray for an open door to share the gospel. Pray for the boldness to proclaim Jesus as the savior, and pray for the message to be clear and understandable. 

He wrote in the letter to the Romans, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes...” (Rom. 1:16a). The gospel is the power of God; it has the ability to produce results. Each time it is proclaimed God’s power goes out and seeds are planted (Luke 8:11). Sometimes it yields fruit quickly, other times it lays dormant until given the right conditions but God’s word never fails and never returns void (Isa. 55:11; Matt. 24:35).

The prayers offered by the church in Colosse proved effective. We learn from the book of Acts that Paul successfully ministered the entire time he was imprisoned in Rome. “For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 28:30-31). 

The power of prayer is greater than the forces against it. Prayer unlocks the way for the gospel message to go out unhindered. This passage reminds that importance should be placed on praying for the message and opportunities to share it. 

Today, may you prayerfully consider those around you. Pray that God will give you an opportunity to share the hope you have with them. Remember He will also give you the words to say in that very moment. God bless you as you show Jesus to those around you.

And Pray For Me Too…

Like Paul, I have a great mission and calling to share the gospel of Jesus Christ through the world by means of this blogs. I ask you to pray for me in the same way Paul asked of the church in Colosse;  Pray for an open door to share the gospel message throughout the world, especially in the countries that this message is censored. Pray for the boldness to proclaim Jesus as the savior and for this to be the main theme of everything I write and share, and pray for the message to be clear and understandable. Thank you, God bless you for your prayer partnership!