30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 11 5-13 Persistent prayer Persistent prayer 7
📖 Luke 11:5-13
*Persistently praying for the maturity of the body of Christ* _Luke 11:5-13_
We have been considering as to what needs to be the substance of our persistent prayer. Firstly, we said that we must persist for God Himself. Secondly, we must persist and ask God for His Holy Spirit. We saw how the Holy Spirit is our counsellor, comforter, helper, guide and our advocate to bring to our remembrance all that Jesus taught us and enable us to bring God’s word into application. Thirdly, we said that the matter of persistent prayer is to increase our faith in God.
Now, let’s consider the fourth matter for persistent prayer.
Epaphras was from Colosse and this was his prayer for the believers at Colosse. He prayed that the believers there would stand perfect and complete in all the will of God _Colossians 4:12. Is that the prayer that we pray for ourselves and also for one another in the body of Christ? We pray for needs and problems that we and others face in life but are we praying, persistently that we will all stand perfect and complete in all the will of God? Let us, from now on, in the enablement of the Holy Spirit, pray, persistently, the prayer of Epaphras._
The same matter of Epaphras’ prayer is echoed by Paul, for the believers of Colosse. He prays that they will be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding _Colossians 1:9._ We must keep in mind that the word ‘knowledge’ in the Bible, refers to experiential knowledge and not just intellectual. _Are you always applying scriptural principles into your everyday life?_
Look at Paul’s persistent prayer for the believers at Colosse as well as at Laodicea. He persists that they be encouraged, by living in the Holy Spirit and not out of the flesh. He prays that they will experience oneness amongst themselves, which is an inheritance already given to them by God. Paul desires that they will attain to all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, _Colossians 2:1-2._
_I’m overwhelmed that our God longs to reveal the mystery of the Father and of Christ to us. Do we desire those things that God desires for us? Are these riches the matter of our persistent prayer? Or is our persistent prayer all about whining and sniveling before God, being full of self-pity, for those matters of the flesh?_
*Thought to ponder*
```”Oh Lord! I pray...that we, as the body of Christ, will fully live out your will by the enablement of Holy Spirit.”```