LABOR FERVENTLY IN PRAYER

Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, salutes you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

Epaphras doesn’t seem to be a five-fold minister. He is noted as a servant; it says, “Who is one of you.” He was a brother in Christ. The Word doesn’t say he had a special intercession ministry or that he was called to pray. The Word is saying to the person reading this scripture that he is someone just like you, so you, too, can pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ just like Epaphras did.

The Word of God clearly tells us in James 5:16, that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available. Philippians 1:19 says that the prayers of the saints for him add a supply of the spirit that turns things for him. Praying for people, especially with the Word of God and in other tongues, makes the power of God available to them so that situations can be changed.

In our scripture, we see Epaphras laboring. What does that mean? There is no amount of physical labor that can help anyone. We can’t do anything in the flesh; Jesus said it profits nothing. Paul warned the Galatians about starting out in the spirit and then trying to be made complete by the flesh. So, how do we labor in the spirit? Romans 8:26-27 says it’s by yielding to the Holy Ghost to let him intercede through us for the people. The Word teaches us that Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us. These are not known words, but the Word of the Holy Ghost, as we pray in other tongues and pray out the perfect will of God for someone.

Our scripture says he labored fervently in prayer so that they could stand perfect and complete in the will of God. People, sometimes, need our help by our praying for them to stand in the perfect and complete will of God.  The will of God is not automatic. People seem to think that if it is the will of God, it will just happen. If that were true, then Epaphras was wasting his time praying for people to stand full and complete in the will of God. So, it is obviously very important for us to pray for people.

If you know someone who is not in the will of God, become Epaphras in their life and pray for them, labor fervently for them. Quit worrying about them, quit talking negative about them, quit harping on them and nagging them. Instead, pray for them and see the power of God come upon the scene in their life and watch them change right before your eyes.