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•A Prayer of Encouragement for Discipling•By Anthony Valente👉 “This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.”(Colossians 1:6)“I’ll pray for you” or “I’m praying for you” are common responses to the trials and pains of others. Taking their needs before the Lord is called intercessory prayer, and it’s powerful. But even more so, is pausing to pray for others in the tough moments of life. Whether we take time to pray via text message or pick up the phone and call …stop in the grocery store or pull the car over to close eyes and link arms — prayer is powerful. When we are looking for a way to help, prayer is it. Prayer not only helps us take our needs and the needs of others before the Lord, but it gives us clear direction on what to do next-action steps …follow up. The personal care of actually lifting them up daily even after the moment has passed. Paul’s prayer to the Colossians was a reminder to them, and to us today, the gospel is spreading throughout the world as Jesus said it would. Until every ear hears, it will continue to. Despite of our mistakes and shortcomings, God uses us to deliver it to the far corners of the world and in the streets of our communities and neighborhoods. We just have to keep praying to the Lord, and for each other. We are called to make disciples and to continue equipping others to share the Gospel. It’s the biggest and most successful chain reaction of all time — God’s love spreads like wild-fire, we only have to be willing vessels to receive and deliver it. Let’s pray the words of Paul’s prayer for each other here, today:✝️ Heavenly Father,Praise you for this day, our lives, and Your purposes. This is the day You have made, and we will rejoice and be glad in it. Thank You, Abba, for caring for us. You make sure we have all we need, Provider, Jireh. You take care of us, Healer, Elohim. Thank You for this prayer today, Father, which Paul wrote to the Colossians. By Your Holy Spirit, help us to be encouraged by these words today, and to digest them fully. Give us new strength and determination, Father, to continue on in discipling others. Pour into us so we may fill others up with Your love. We pray these words over our lives today:“We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our beloved co-worker. He is Christ’s faithful servant, and he is helping us on your behalf. He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” (Colossians 1:3-14)In Jesus’ Name,AMEN 🙏 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”(Matthew 28:18-20)One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches.(Galatians 6:6)So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(John 8:31-32)“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.(Matthew 5:14-16)Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.(Proverbs 27:17)“Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.”(Titus 2:3)A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”(John 13:34-35)Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.(1 Corinthians 11:1)“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”(Ephesians 4:16)“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”(Matthew 10:14-15)Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.(Matthew 10:37-38)“‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’”(Acts 1:8)“‘You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit-fruit that will last-and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.’”(John 15:16)“If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.(Luke 14:26-27)And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.(Matthew 4:18-20)(pic verse)Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?(Matthew 16:24-26)