“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will
through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,
so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way.”
[Colossians 1:9-10]
June is Bible month, and this year we are looking at Colossians. Colossae was a small city in what is now Turkey. It had been a thriving city – though before Paul, it had dwindled in importance.
Paul wrote to this small city, despite never going there, to encourage them in their faith. After thanking God for them, he encourages them to live a life worthy of the Lord. Paul explains that this life involves good work that bears fruit, growing in knowledge of God, having strength and patience, as well as sharing the gospel.
These words are a good reminder to us about Christian living: showing God to others through our good works; learning more about God through reading the Bible; developing strength in faith and patience with others, as well as telling others about the way Jesus haschanged our lives. They encourage us to take a good look at ourselves and how we are growing in our faith.
There are many hymns that speak of the Christian life, and the hymn ‘Community of Christ’ by Shirley Erena Murray (Singing the Faith 681) speaks of the role of the church community in serving others, standing for justice and showing God’s love.
Gracious God,
we thank you for the Christians with whom we share our faith and our life’s journey;
we thank you for the work that we do together and pray that it will show others your love;
we thank you for the opportunities to learn more about you,
and to deepen the relationship with have with you;
we thank you that we can share the good news with others,
for the privilege of passing on your story.
Give us the strength to continue to live a life worthy of you.
Amen
Image: photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
Prayers for June 2019 by Revd Claire Rawlinson
You can download this Prayer for the Week here
