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Together in Christ: 'Praying to Empower Our Evangelists and Missionaries' — Colossians 4:2-4 Monday, January 29, 2024 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. — Colossians 4:2-4 NLT Key Thought Prayer is powerful, especially when God's people pray together for His missionaries and ministers. [1] Praying for the safety of God's servants is good, but every missionary and evangelist I know would prefer that we also pray for their effectiveness. [2] Even though Paul was imprisoned when he asked the believers in Colosse to pray for him, notice that he centered his request on his opportunities and effectiveness in sharing the Good News of Jesus. We should pray for our missionaries and evangelists today. They need God's power to remain faithful, proclaim the message of Jesus clearly, and reach out to others courageously. When we pray for these servants of Christ, we are not just supporting their ministries; we also are active participants in their work to reach the lost. [3] The key to this kind of prayer is revealed in the first sentence of today's verses: "Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart." Prayer for Jesus' ministers and missionaries needs to be prayer rich in devotion to God, His mission, and His servants sharing the Word! These servants are battling human and spiritual opposition, [4] so our prayers need to recognize the seriousness of our prayer task. We also need to pray for these servants with thankfulness both because of the work they are doing and also because we are praying to the One Who can empower their ministries and open up doors of opportunity for them. To take part in God's great mission to the lost through prayer is a precious and glorious blessing! [1] James 5:16 — "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." When God's people pray, they release His power through the Holy Spirit into the ministry of others — Ephesians 6:18-20; Mark 13:9-11. [2] We see this emphasis in the prayer of early believers in Acts 4:23-31. Notice that their prayer was not for freedom from the persecution they were enduring but for boldness to proclaim the message of Jesus. [3] Philippians 1:3-6. [4] Ephesians 6:10-13. TODAY'S PRAYER Dear Father, I am thinking of several of Your servants who proclaim the Good News of Jesus and try to reach others with Your grace. Some of them are in dangerous places. Others are in high-profile ministries. Still others are quiet yet effective evangelists who tirelessly reach out to the lost and broken, the forgotten people so many overlook. I pray for their physical and spiritual protection as they serve You. I ask that You give them the words to speak, the courage to speak them, and Your grace to effectively reach those who desperately need You. In Jesus' name and by His power, I ask this for Your servants sharing Your Word. Amen. RELATED SCRIPTURE READINGS Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 12:8-12 Ephesians 6:18-20