Colossians 4:2-6. Praying for gospel ambitions | Niv Lobo | 260927 | Partnership Sunday

Prayer is an expression of our helplessness, need and dependence.

But because of that, it's also our expression of trust in God's all-surpassing power and his all-encompassing care.

Of course we should be devoted to it.

Because when we pray, that's what we're doing.

We're bringing ourselves, bringing all these needs to God's all-surpassing power and his all-encompassing care.

No wonder Paul says we should be devoted to it.

And that word devoted in the Bible, it's quite exciting when you see it paired with the word for prayer.

It happens quite a few times in the book of Acts.

Did you know straight after Jesus' ascension, we're told that disciples gathered together and devoted themselves to prayer as they waited for the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1.

Then in the next chapter, God gives his Holy Spirit, and we are told in Act 2 that the early church devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and the prayers.

Later on in Act 6, when the apostles were close to being diverted away from what they should have been focusing on by a crisis in the church, they arranged for some other people to meet those needs.

Why? so that they could be devoted to prayer and the ministry of the word.

Do you ever read the book of Acts if you've read it before and thought, I would love to be part of the church like that.

I'd love to be in an Acts kind of church.

Well, Paul says, you can be.

And here's how.

Devote yourself to prayer.

There is nothing more spirit-filled, Christ-exalting, and authentically church that we could ever do.

then devote ourselves to prayer.