‘We Have Not Stopped Praying for You.’ (5)
[Colossians 1:9-14]
The prayer topic for which we should pray unceasingly is to ask the Lord to enable all of us to bear fruit in every good work. We pray that the Lord will allow us to bear the fruit of His Word and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, we pray that the Lord will lead us to live a reverent, holy, and loving life, enabling us to live a life worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we not only proclaim the Word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ with our lips but also convey the gospel through our lives, using us as instruments of the Lord to lead one soul after another to Jesus Christ. We pray in the name of Jesus that the God of salvation will use us as instruments of the gospel, causing us to bear the fruit of soul salvation, so that with grateful hearts, we may give praise, worship, and glory to God.
Before You, Lord, a fading flame stands, asking for Your help so that the wind does not
blow it out. As an unexpected tomorrow, a lamp without oil, spending futile years, this
body humbly asks for Your help. Casting away worldly wealth, casting away worldly
power, even if I am cast away, grant me only the love of the Father eternally. As a small
flame that brightens the world, remaining to burn and burn, make me a watchman.
An unnamed blade of grass stands before You, Lord, asking for Your help to withstand
the chilly wind. As an unplanned tomorrow, a barren flowering tree without fruit, spending
futile years, this body bows down to You. In times filled with sadness and worries, hoping
for the kingdom of heaven, may I live eternally in the arms of the Father. As a small blade
of grass emitting fragrance throughout the world, remaining to bloom and bloom, make me
a watchman.
(Gospel song, ‘Remaining as a Small Flame’)
The power of God possessed by Christians who believe in our Lord Jesus, what is it? When I pondered this question, Romans 5:5 came to mind: "And hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." In this passage, it is evident that the power of God we already possess is none other than the power of the Holy Spirit and the power of God's love. In other words, the power we already have is the ability of the Holy Spirit, who, by producing the fruit of love (Gal. 5:22), enables us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves, according to the dual commandment of Jesus (Mt. 22:37, 39). Another Scripture that comes to mind is Acts 1:8 - "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." This passage suggests that the power we already possess is the "power" received when the Holy Spirit comes upon us. Here, "power" refers to the ability to do the Lord's work. When we believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit imparts to us the power of God the Father and the power of God the Son, which is exercised through the Holy Spirit. This power, as spiritual ability, enables us to proclaim the Word of God, establish churches, and as moral ability, sanctifies us into the holy image of the Lord (Internet, Tozer). Another Scripture that comes to mind is Romans 16:25-27, where the Apostle Paul, under the theme of "Wise God," speaks about the ability of God's gospel: "Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith—to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen." Here, the ability of God mentioned is the power of the gospel, and when meditating on this passage, I believe we must quickly and diligently hear and believe the gospel to be firmly established by its power. Another Scripture that comes to mind is 1 Thessalonians 2:13 - "And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe." In this passage, the power of God that we, believers in Jesus, already possess is the power of the Word. The Thessalonian saints, when they received the word of God, did not accept it merely as human words but truly as the word of God, which was actively working within them. If we do not connect the heard word of God with faith (Heb. 4:2), the power of the Word will not manifest among us. However, if we accept the heard word of God with faith, that Word will work among us. We need to cherish this power of the Word. Lastly, another Scripture that comes to mind is 1 Corinthians 1:24 - "But to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." This Scripture emphasizes that Christ is the power of God that we already possess.