For this reason we pray

The receipt of God's grace in Christ should always lead to the pursuit of God's grace in Christ. The Colossian believers have not finished, they have only begun, and Paul now expresses to them the things for which he pleads at the throne of grace.

From the fact of his praying, we learn that intercessory prayer: is promoted by and relies upon God's grace in Christ; is a great proof of genuine love and affection; is an effective means of obtaining a blessing; is the immediate response of loving hearts; is the incessant response of loving hearts; is conducted in a spirit of humble faith and confident warmth; is to be pursued with others.

This is a contribution that every member of Christ's church can make, for without prayer there is no blessing. If we see the church threatened by some danger or lacking some grace, prayer should be our primary response. We should therefore make conscience of every right opportunity to pray alone and together as believers, learning from Paul why we pray and for what we should pray.