Our walk through the Epistle to the Colossians continues this coming Lord’s Day as we now move to consider another section of the letter. For several weeks we’ve studied what Paul had to say regarding the new life in the home, and how the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ changes everything about us, and especially our relationships with one another.

This week, we are moving on with Paul to a new and final section of the letter (4:2-6) where he addresses some additional concerns before he brings his Epistle to an end. In verses 2-6, we will discover some critical duties, prompted by God’s grace and empowered by His Spirit, that every believer in the Lord is to faithfully carry out for the glory of Christ’s name.

As you can see, the first duty, or responsibility, is that of “prayer.” And we will find both an emphasis upon general “prayer” (v. 2), as well as specific “prayer” (vv. 3-4). And then, Paul will set forth the Christian duty of living in the world as a witness for the Gospel (vv. 5-6). He will exhort all believers to live among the lost in a way that magnifies the name of Christ and assists the free and unhindered advance of the message of salvation.

This Sunday, and the next Lord’s Day as well, we are going to consider the matter of prayer. Our special focus this week will be upon prayer in general as it is commanded in verse 2: “Continue steadfastly in prayer.”