“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for those who have not met me face to face.”
(Colossians 2.1)
I’m not sure about you, but I find statements like this so convicting.
Paul is not struggling with the Colossians, those in Laodicea, and those who have never even met him. Paul is struggling for them. Using language and metaphors of the day (as in 2 Corinthians 10.13, for example) Paul uses sporting terms to describe the continued effort and exertion he is expending on behalf of others.
The idea that this man, having never met any of the original readers of this letter, struggles for them in prayer and in petition is hugely convicting. I ask myself, ‘Do I do that?’ I wonder if I spend enough energy and exertion on those I have never met but want the best for. I consider whether there appears, ever, an appointment on my calendar to pray for those I have never met. I drill down further in my own thoughts and wonder if those on the periphery of the church family I am privileged to lead ever appear in my prayers, or if I am in such a groove of praying for the same people and the same things that I am missing an opportunity.
In the passage that follows we will read of Paul’s specific concern and prayers for these believers, but for today, I would you encourage you – as I will do myself – to pause and pray for those you don’t know but only know of;
- Pray for the quiet and unassuming in your own church you might only speak to every few weeks.
- Pray for the church in different parts of the world, that they are able to navigate the unique geographical and cultural challenges they face whilst maintaining a consistent witness.
Pray, simply, for those you don’t know but only know of.
James Travis 