Prayer (Col. 4:2-4)

This sermon was preached on 7/7/2011

Paul has highlighted several crucial aspects of the Christian faith in his letter to the Colossians. He has provided important reminders of who Jesus is, what he did when he was here on earth, and what his position is as the risen, ascended Saviour. Further he explained to the Colossians how they were to show that they belonged to the new humanity, whether in life in general or in the specific area of household life. We can imagine the Colossians, as they listened to the letter being read to them, responding at least to themselves, ‘How can we retain correct thinking about all these issues in our minds?’ If they were thinking in that way as they heard Colossians 4:1 being read, they received the answer in verse 2: ‘Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.’

Further, they may have said to themselves, ‘In addition to demands connected to life in the church, it is also the case that we have to face pressures from those outside the church. Our family members, our neighbours, the contacts we make day by day are not interested in what we have to say about Jesus. What would Paul, who we have never met, say to us?’ No doubt the apostle could say many things, but it is reasonable to assume that one response he would urge would be to ‘continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.’

In addition, it is possible that the Christians in Colosse would face official investigations and punishments by the authorities. Although Colosse was a small town, it was not a backwater location because it was close to the cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis. It was inevitable that the authorities would be curious at least about the appearance of this radical new group that involved different races, all levels of society, and did not participate in any of the official religions. One of Paul’s responses to such potential difficulties for the church in Colosse would be to ‘continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. ’

The church in Colosse had lost its pastor Epaphras. He had brought the gospel to Colosse after he had been converted through hearing Paul in Ephesus. Over the next decade or so, he had guided the church in Colosse. He had gone to Rome to see Paul and had himself been arrested. There is no hint that Epaphras was about to be released and we can imagine the anxiety that the church would have when Tychicus and Philemon appeared – without Epaphras. Paul’s advice, I am sure, would be to ‘continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.’

Two men had left the church in Colosse in the past while. One was their pastor Epaphras and one was the unreliable slave Onesimus who had ran away from his master Philemon in whose house the church in Colosse met. I am sure that they prayed for both men, although with different desires for each. They would have prayed for the release of Epaphras and the conversion of Onesimus. Now they could see that the Lord had kept his promise and answered prayer for Onesimus. But what were they to do with regard to their prayers for Epaphras? The answer was to ‘continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.’ Be thankful for Onesimus and continue to pray for Epaphras.

Of course, Paul wanted them to pray for him. He knew that his colleagues Tychicus and Philemon will convey information about his circumstances when they delivered the letter to the church, and in their report they would mention his confinement as a prisoner. We will look later at what he requested about himself, but it is the case that with regard to these specific requests, Paul would want them to ‘continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.’

Paul’s exhortation

The first detail to note is that Paul assumes that they are praying – that aspect is revealed in the word ‘continue’. Paul expected Christians to pray and unless he knew otherwise he assumed they were doing so. No doubt, Epaphras would have told him about the prayer meetings in Colosse, whatever format they took. Paul’s attitude here is evidence of his confidence in God’s grace that it would produce praying people.

His attitude is also encouraging for the Colossians. They had never met Paul and may how wondered how such a notable leader regarded them. Now they had his thoughts about them – he appreciated their prayers and wanted them also to pray for him. Paul not only had confidence in the God who was at work in their lives, he also trusted them to fulfil this basic Christian duty of intercessory prayer. Paul did not use a rod unless he had to.

Paul was also aware that good practices had to continue. How would their prayer lives keep going? A clue to Paul’s insight into how a healthy prayer life can be maintained is seen in the word ‘steadfastly’. They have to keep on doing it. Of course, such a practice is a permanent expression of our dependence on God. It is also a demonstration that we delight to be in the presence of God.

Further, they were to be watchful as they prayed. Paul’s use of the term ‘watchful’ is a reminder that in prayer we should be alert. Since he does not specify what it is that we are to be alert for, we can suggest a number of possibilities. He could mean to watch as a soldier does for opponents, so we have to guard against spiritual enemies such as the devil and temptation. Or he could mean we should be alert as a recorder and take careful note of what we ask and of what we receive, and since we are to pray with thankfulness this could be the point that the apostle is making. Or it could mean to pray intelligently, to be an observer of what is happening and to pray particularly for such developments in our congregations, our neighbourhoods, our country, and around the world. It has even been suggested that prayer is a preparation for the day when Jesus returns, and certainly the possibility of an imminent return by Jesus should lead us to pray earnestly for persons to be saved.

Alongside watchfulness in our prayers should be thankfulness. Paul has already in the closing verses of chapter 3 stressed the importance of thanksgiving. Thankfulness is evidence that we are grateful to God, and the presence of such gratitude is proof that we understand grace. A prayer without thankfulness is not a true prayer.

Paul’s request

In verses 3 and 4, which are the details of Paul’s specific request, we have a clear summary of a gospel minister. First, he is dependent on God to open the door, which is a reminder that all doors are shut unless God opens them. In a literal sense, Paul was probably in a room in which the door was closed, but he did not regard that as a reason for a spiritual door not being opened.

Second, a gospel minister works with others – we should note Paul’s use of the pronoun ‘us’. The ‘us’ are probably Paul and Timothy because they are the names at the opening of the letter. We are aware of some reasons why the church should pray for Timothy – he was physically weak and a bit timid, and he needed strength and courage from God.

Third, a gospel minister wants to declare the mystery of Christ. This does not mean that he is to speak in a mysterious way. Instead the term ‘mystery’ in the New Testament refers to something that has been revealed. Paul wanted to preach about Christ, his person and his work. Of course, such a subject is vast and contains more than sufficient material for a preacher. Paul wanted to declare it and he found his enforced silence very hard to bear.

Fourth, a gospel minister may have to pay a price for preaching. Paul had been arrested, which I assume happened because he had continued to preach after he arrived in Rome. As the closing verses of the Book of Acts indicate, Paul initially had freedom to preach in Rome. But later on, he was denied that liberty and was arrested. Yet although the cost was heavy, he was willing to pay it. Of course, such a situation was not a new one for Paul. Still his experience is a reminder that sometimes a gospel minister faces official opposition from the authorities.

Fifth, a gospel minister wants to speak about Jesus clearly. Does this indicate that Paul was aware that sometimes he was not as clear in his preaching as he should have been? Or is he referring to the weakness of his voice that had caused him to be dismissed by some who lived in Corinth? Perhaps he has in mind the variety of individuals who might hear him, even although he is confined. He would have preached to many different soldiers, and these soldiers would have come from different parts of the Empire, with each having his own cultural baggage. Paul would have addressed officials as they came to interview him, and they would have been more intelligent than the soldiers. Yet they too had to hear about Christ.

We know from Paul’s letter to the Philippians that he had known soul winning success even although he had been imprisoned: ‘I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear’ (Phil. 1:12-14). Perhaps one reason for the success was the prayers of the Colossians for Paul.