In Sunday’s message, How Redemption Fuels the Christian Life, Ryan showed us from Colossians 1:11-14 how gratefulness for our redemption in Christ fuels the strength, patience and joy that Paul prays for God to give them. Martin Lloyd-Jones expands on this text and warns us against forgetting the centrality of Chris’s work in beginning and sustaining the Christian life:

The gospel…, in the first instance, does not ask us to do anything – it is primarily an announcement of what God has done for us…. The work of the devil is to twist it, to pervert it…to prevent us from seeing it…, [to tell us] that the message of Christianity is a call to us to do something to put ourselves right, to put the world right, to stop this, to stop that! But the very first principle of Christianity denies that completely; it is the exact opposite. Christianity is an announcement and a proclamation of what God has done. Yet people still persist in thinking that Christianity is a call to them to do something. That is why they do not sing and praise God; that is why their hearts are not on fire and full of rejoicing. It is because they think Christianity is a code of ethics, a way of life and of living. No, says Paul,… he [has qualified] us; he has done it all.” – Love So Amazing: Expositions on Colossians 1

Since this concludes three sermons on Paul’s prayer in Colossians, this is a good time to link to resources on the subject, so that we would more faithfully pray and in a way that is faithful to the gospel.

Books:

Heart of Prayer, Jerram Barrs

A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers, D.A. Carson

A Praying Life: Connecting With God in a Distracting World, Paul Miller

Praying Backwards: Transforming Your Prayer Life by Beginning in Jesus’ Name, Bryan Chapel

DSC Audio:

Prizing the Privilege of Prayer, Jerram Barrs

Saturday Seminar: Prayer, Ryan Kelly

Learning Prayer from Paul, Ryan Kelly

Brokenness Unto Joy: Confession, Tim Ragsdale

Pursuing the Pleasure of His Presence in Prayer, Ryan Kelly

What to Pray for the Saints in Christ, Ryan Kelly