Prayer Request...for us all

Good Morning,

Colossians 1:1-14 (New International Version)
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints—the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Please allow me to paraphrase the first few verses that we read today.....

David, a disciple of Jesus Christ only because of God's grace...
To those who read these words each day, my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus...
Please, pray for me and, in God's will, hear my prayers for you...

I looked at these verses this morning and my heart cried out with the words I read. It cried out pleading to the Lord in prayer for you, with these same thoughts, feelings, and sentiments that Paul had for the saints of his day. My heart also cried out that YOU would pray for me with these very same thoughts, feelings, and sentiments. You see, I need your prayers in order to be a better servant of Jesus Christ. We all do. Without the prayers of my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, I am like a dried leaf blowing in the breeze that doesn't know where it's going nor where it will land. But, with your prayers, God will guide that wind and have this dried up old leaf go where He would have me to be and allow me to land where I can do the most good in His service now.

I ask God for the same things that Paul asked for the people to whom he was writing. I ask it for you and I ask it for myself. Please, read these words this day and pray with me for all the saints...and especially for me. I truly need your prayers.

Paul asks that God fill people with "the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding." Oh, yes! Please Lord, God of the universe and Creator of all things, hear our prayer for this.

Paul asks that we might "live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way." Oh, yes! Please Lord, hear our prayers.

Paul asks that we live our lives "bearing fruit in every good work." Oh, yes! Please Lord, hear our prayers.

Paul asks that we go on "growing in knowledge of God." Oh, yes! Please Lord, hear our prayers.

Paul asks that we be "strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that we may have great endurance and patience." Oh, yes! Please Lord, hear our prayers.

Paul asks that we will "joyfully give thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." Oh, yes! Please Lord, hear our prayers.

Please join me in these prayers today...and in the days to come. As I've said, I need your prayers and, I truly believe, we all need the prayers of, well, of us all. We have work to do, each of us as individuals and all of us corporately, in service to God. We can only do it as God would have us to do if we will pray continually for His guidance, His strength, and His wisdom in our lives.
Love, peace, and blessings,

David