March 2, 2013 … Your Prayer Warriors

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 61

Passage of the Day: Colossians 4: 12 [NLT] …  
12 Epaphrus, from your city, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident of the whole will of God. 
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: Colossians, Chapter 4 [NLT] … Go to this link … 
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Reference Passage #1: Ephesians 6: 18-20 : [NKJV] …  
18 Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere. … 19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words as I boldly explain God’s secret plan that the Good News is for the Gentiles, too. 20 I am in chains now for preaching this message as God’s ambassador. But pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should. 

Reference Passage #2: Hebrews 7: 23-25 : [NKJV] …  
23 There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. 24 But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. 25 Therefore He is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through Him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. 

My Journal for Today: Os Hillman, in his workplace ministry devotional for this date, has reminded me of an important point of spiritual emphasis as we go about the “business of life.” Hillman, of course, is writing his journal entries to Christians in the workplace, helping them (us) to apply God’s will, from His word, as we go about our work life on the job or in running a business. But the principles Hillman espouses apply to all Christians in the marketplace we call LIFE. And today Hillman really reminded me of one such process in my life and in the ministry God has led me to direct for His glory.

Hillman wrote about this powerful process by highlighting one of Paul’s prison epistles, … his letter to the church in Colosse, where he sites in Chapter 4, verse 12 above the prayer ministry of Epaphrus, the brother in Christ visiting Paul in the Roman prison, and the brother who had brought the Gospel to Colosse. Paul sites Epaphrus as a prayer warrior who was praying diligently and with discipline for his brothers/sisters in Christ back in Colosse. And in the highlight passage (linked for your study above), Paul wanted the Colossians to know that there was a cohort of prayer warriors, including Paul himself, Epaphrus, Timothy, Tychicus, Onesimus, Aristarchus, and Mark, … who were all attending to Paul in the Roman prison from whence Paul wrote this letter; but they were all praying for the spiritual needs of the Christians in Colosse, whom Epaphrus had apparently enlisted to pray for, … because Colosse was being besieged by false teachings.

And reading Paul’s teaching and exhortation to the Colossian Christians reminded me of the Christian brothers/sisters who pray for the ministry I lead, BattlePlan Ministry, which is a ministry on the frontlines of spiritual warfare. But really, any Christian who is out there, confronting Satan, the world, and the temptations of the flesh (our spiritual enemies) needs to have a cohort of prayer warriors praying for us, don’t we? If I were to ask you, “Whom do you rely on as your prayer warriors?”; … could you list a handful of reliable Christians who pray for you on a regular basis? If not, why not? Most of us have a prayer list of people who need our prayer, don’t we? So, hopefully you’re not to prideful to have a group of prayer warrior partners praying for you. If not, my friend, you need some warriors praying for you just as Epaphrus had done to enlist prayer warriors for Colosse.

Certainly, according to Hebrews 7: 23-25, we have Jesus, our High Priest in heaven, praying for us. However, His intercession is enhanced by the numbers of humble Christians who are praying for us regularly. That’s why Paul, in the context of his writings on spiritual warfare (in Ephesians 6), begged for His beloved Christians warriors in Ephesus to pray diligently for him while he was in prison; and it’s why he was writing to the Christians Epaphrus was praying for in Colosse. We all need a cohort of prayer warriors praying for us, lifting us up to the Chairman of the Prayer Board in heaven, … CHRIST, … Who will always intercede for us to His Father and to cover us – by our faith – with His blood.

I’m so thankful to have warriors praying for me and our ministry on a regular basis. Without these prayer warriors, taking the high ground for battle daily, I’d be naked out there on the battle fields of life.

Praise God for our prayer warriors!!

My Prayer for Today … Amen and amen, … as to my thanks for those who pray for BattlePlan Ministries and for the warriors who are praying for those who take the battle field today in Christ’s Name. … Amen