Colossians

1.1-29

There is a unique challenge today that I hope you will accept. The words that follow, God has granted that I share with You, for your edification, to speak to Him. This is my prayer, and it is for you to also pray if you are willing. After you read it and pray it, ask God that He will also give you perfect clarity of His Word, spoken through Paul, in Colossians 1:1-29. I trust that you will understand why God delivered this to us today.

Remind me to pray for those You've revealed to me as among Your children, my fellow servants in Christ. Thank You, when You surprise me and show me another of Your followers, of whom I did not previously know. Father let Your Word constantly bear fruit and multiply just as You command in John 15:16. LORD, that I would recognize when the saints render service to You and bring others into Your saving grace. Let me learn from their testimony and be led by Your Spirit to do likewise. Let me be faithful to nurture in love and respect, by faith, those who have come into this knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that they too will know of Your power to work through them to Your glory. In this LORD, I will give You thanks. I am an unworthy recipient of the inheritance into the Kingdom of the Son of Your love, of Your redemption, of Your forgiveness of sins. Jesus, You, before all things, are now holding all things together. You lead us from death into life, firstborn of the recipients of peace through the blood You shed on the cross. You did this, for me, and for those whom You've appointed me to pray, when we were lost, wrecked, ravaged, and filthy in sin. Now You've washed and purified us, to present us before Your Father. I will remain as You have cleansed me, firmly grounded and steadfast in the faith of the Gospel, from which I WILL NOT MOVE AWAY! I will thank You God, for the burden of service, and call it a blessing. You have appointed me for Your purpose, and I gladly receive it. You have revealed to us in Your Word, all that You chose to remain hidden for thousands of years. Now, because of Christ, we know the hope of glory! I will make You known LORD! Father, grant me Your wisdom, that I may teach others, that they too may be complete in Christ. You have formed me for this purpose and commanded me to do this, by Your power. I receive, heed, thank You, and praise You for Your call. Amen.

CHAPTER 1

Thanksgiving and Prayer

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints,
5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel
6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and multiplying, just as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard and understood the grace of God in truth;
7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow slave, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,
8 who also informed us of your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason also, since the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and multiplying in the full knowledge of God;
11 being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
13 Who rescued us from the authority of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son of His love,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Firstborn of All Creation

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16 For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.

17 And He is before all things,
And in Him all things hold together.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church;
Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
19 For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
20 And through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross—through Him—whether things on earth or things in heaven.
21 And although you were formerly alienated and enemies in mind and in evil deeds,
22 but now He reconciled you in the body of His flesh through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—
23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and I fill up what is lacking of Christ’s afflictions in my flesh, on behalf of His body, which is the church,
25 of which I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God given to me for you, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,
26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,
27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 Him we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
29 For this purpose I also labor, striving according to His working, which He works in me in power.