How do you pray? How do you pray for others?

Spurgeon showed his church how to pray and saw revival in London.

William Booth saw revival in London and across the world and it was based on fervent prayer.

If we want to pray in a similar fashion we need someone to teach us and the book of Colossians helps us with that.

Colossians 1:3-14

1. We can grow in thanksgiving
   • Colossians 1:3-8
   • Paul wrote this while in jail and when he was concerned about the Colossae church, however, he doesn’t focus on the false teachers first, he focuses on the grace of God.
   • It’s easy to focus on the problems, the challenge is to not start our prayers focused on the problem, but instead like Paul, start by thanking God for all he’s done.
   • In v6 we see that Paul’s prayer also includes what is happening around the world. It’s easy to be discouraged when we focus on the local challenges, but we should be filled with thankfulness for what’s happening around the world and believe that the gospel will bear fruit in our city as well.
   • Let’s grow in our thankfulness as we pray.
2. Grow in an understanding of the gospel
   • Colossians 1:9-10
   • Paul is not interested in changing people from the outside in, he has confidence in the gospel and that we can be changed from the inside out.
   • And in v10 Paul prays for the Holy Spirit to give the church supernatural wisdom and understanding of who they are in Christ and true spiritual wisdom and understanding must then effect our daily life and be what powers us.
   • This is a life transforming prayer, that we’d grow in our understanding of what we have in Christ and have the power to live this out.
   • Ephesians 4:1
3. Grow in strength through the gospel
   • Colossians 1:11-14
   • The false teachers in Colossae were telling people they needed to add something to the gospel, but these verses reiterate that the gospel is all you need and to just look at the actions of Jesus.
   • Jesus has rescued us from Satan, there’s nothing we need to do, in Jesus we’ve been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, from slavery to freedom.
   • Redemption (v14) comes from slavery terminology and means the debt has been paid and the person is free and that’s what Jesus has done.
   • Paul is highlighting the power of the gospel, we are free from Satan and we have inherited the full power of God, we have been redeemed, we have been forgiven.