Tag: Prayer

How to Share Christ Effectively (Colossians 4:2-6)

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Colossians, Imago Dei ClassLeave a comment

As Paul moves towards the conclusion of his letter, he asks the Colossians to partner with him in his life’s calling: proclaiming the mystery of Christ. He invites them to play their role in God’s mission by praying for and supporting him in his mission field (now prison), but also by engaging in their own mission field. He writes in Colossians 4:2-6,

“2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; 4 that I may make it clear in the way that I ought to proclaim it.

5Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. 6 Your speech must always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” (NASB)

There are two primary commands in this section. The first is to pray for opportunities to witness and the second is to take advantage of those opportunities. I use “witness” here as the term to define any opportunity we have to share Christ with those who do not know him. Let’s consider each of these commands in turn and consider how they apply to our lives.

We Must Pray for Witnessing Opportunities

It is important to note that Paul begins this section by encouraging prayer. And not just any kind of prayer. Paul encourages the Colossians to missions minded kingdom expanding prayer.  He doesn’t give them a list of his physical needs, but asks them to pray that he (and they) will be effective in reaching the lost. Effective evangelism always begins with prayer.

Paul asks the Colossians to pray for God to open up a door for the word. In Acts 14:27 and 1 Corinthians 16:9, God is the one who opens the door for the gospel. He does this through providing opportunities to share Christ and opening the hearts of those who hear. Paul, now in prison, asks for the Colossians to pray that God will continue opening doors for him to preach Christ.

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You Should Regularly Pray This! (Colossians 1:9-14)

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Colossians, Devotionals, Imago Dei Class, Messages1 Comment

What should I pray for consistently? Aside from our immediate needs (health, jobs, direction), we often do not know what we should pray about or who we should pray for. We don’t know how or what to pray for our own spiritual lives, much less the lives of our fellow church members or friends. Thankfully, God’s Word shows us the what and the how!

This week we continue our study of Colossians  by studying 1:9-14, where Paul moves from his opening greeting and thanksgiving to encouraging the Colossians by giving them insight into how and what he prays for them. He does this to show them that God is answering their prayers and to model for them what they are to pray for, look for, and rejoice in.

I think Paul highlights two main prayer requests here, requests that all of us should regularly pray for ourselves and other believers in our lives:

1. To be filled with the knowledge of God’s will (1:9)

Paul’s first request is that the Colossians would be “filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual insight” (v. 9). The “will” and “insight” that he has in mind here is not the specifics regarding who to marry or which job to take, but God’s will for all his people- the will to know his Son and walk with Him.

How do I know that? Because Paul tells his readers why he prays this for them, “so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (v. 10).” The kind of spiritual understanding he is praying for is understanding what God wants (to trust his Son) and what kind of life is pleasing and honoring to his Son.

Paul then describes the kind of life, or “walk,” that is pleasing to the Son. First, it is a walk that bears fruit. “Fruit” is the tangible evidence of God’s work in and through us. It includes spiritual growth, holiness, and having an eternal impact through our ministry (and yes, everyone is called to minister wherever God plants them!).

Bearing fruit is using the gifts God has given us, in dependence upon the Spirit who dwells inside us, to impact those around us. It is becoming more and more like Jesus, and because of that, introducing more and more people to Jesus.

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should last,” Jesus said in John 15:16. These words were spoken to his original disciples, but they apply to all his disciples. Our Lord is pleased when we bear fruit![1]

The second aspect of a walk that is pleasing to the Lord is a life marked by “increasing in the knowledge of God.” Jesus does not save us just so we can labor for his kingdom and see fruit in our ministries. We aren’t just servants, but friends and children of God (John 15:15). He wants us to see fruit in our relationship with God. He wants us to growin our knowledge of God. He wants to see our capacity for a relationship with God to deepen. And that happens as we grow in our knowledge of God.

We can spend so much of our time praying about and being consumed with the little details of our life. Its not that God doesn’t care about those, but what he is primarily concerned with, as was Paul, is that we understand his will and walk in a manner worthy of Christ. If we do that, all the little things will fall into place. For example, our youth pastor regularly tells high school students to not be primarily focused on where God wills for them to go to college but who God wills for them to be wherever they go. That last piece- the who he calls us to be- that’s the knowledge of his will, and that knowledge applies to not only college choices, but to every area of our lives.

Continue reading “You Should Regularly Pray This! (Colossians 1:9-14)” →

25 Ways to Grow in Your Faith in 2025

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Miscellaneous1 Comment

The promise of a new year is the promise of a fresh start. Indeed, God is a God of fresh starts! “His steadfast love never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” (Lam 3:22-23). As the new year dawns, so does another chapter in your faith. Here are twenty-five ways to grow in your faith this coming year. Please note that these are not laws or obligations, but practices and disciplines that help facilitate the strengthening of our faith!

1. Commit to a local church.

It may seem surprising for church to be at the top of the list. But I have placed it here intentionally. The local church is the primary place where we are to grow in our relationship with Jesus. It is the soil where the seed of our faith will be watered, fed, and strengthened through participating in worship, hearing the Word preached, observing the sacraments, and fellowshipping with other believers. Commit to a local church if you want to grow.

2. Expose yourself to the Word consistently.

The goal is not to check off days in a reading plan, but to regularly expose our hearts to God’s Word in various ways. Take seriously the preaching of the Word on Sunday mornings. Find a Bible-reading plan and stick with it. Read a Psalm a day. Listen to the Bible on audio. Find a time and a place every day to read the Word. Find whatever works for you, and stick with it!

3. Memorize scripture.

Don’t just read God’s Word. Memorize it. Memorize specific verses that standout when you’re reading or follow a specific Bible memorization plan (you can find several online). Use note cards or an app on your phone. Start small; something is better than nothing! Memorizing scripture not only exposes you to God’s Word, it writes His Word on your heart.

4. Give attention to your prayer life.

We all know we should pray and most of us want to pray, but we often become overwhelmed by the prospect of prayer that we end up not praying at all. I have found in my own life that when I don’t give attention to my prayer life, I don’t pray nearly as much. Or at least I don’t pray for the things I should.

Sure, some prayer should be spontaneous, but regular, intentional prayer comes though specific attention and planning. Consider praying for your church on Mondays, your family on Tuesdays, your co-workers on Wednesdays, and so on. Find a schedule that works for you. Keep a list ( I do this digitally), and pray through it regularly!

Continue reading “25 Ways to Grow in Your Faith in 2025” →

Six Things Every Disciple-Maker Should Pray For

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn DiscipleshipLeave a comment

How do we “make disciples?” Disciple-making is the intentional process of helping someone follow Jesus through relationships. This process includes several aspects such as teaching content, making consistent contact, and spending time in different contexts together. There are many resources available to help us in our disciple-making efforts. However, I fear that we can get so caught up in following and depending on a certain curriculum or method of discipleship that we forget to pray for those we are seeking to disciple.

If you are seeking to help someone follow Jesus and grow in their walk with God, one of the first things you should do is commit yourself to is praying for them! Here are five simple things to pray; I would encourage you to memorize these and pray them daily!

1. Spiritual Growth and Maturity in Christ

Pray that they would grow in their understanding of the gospel, deepen in their relationship with Christ, and become more like Him in character and conduct (Ephesians 4:13-15).

2. Understanding and Applying Scripture

Ask God to grant them wisdom and insight as they read His Word, helping them to understand and apply His truth as they seek to live out the gospel (Psalm 119:18; James 1:22).

3. Opportunities and Boldness in Ministry

Pray for them to have opportunities to minister to others through prayer, encouragement, and evangelism. Pray for God to grant them courage and clarity as they share the hope of Christ with others (Acts 4:29; Matthew 28:19-20).

4. Dependence on the Holy Spirit

Ask God to help them rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance, strength, and spiritual transformation, recognizing that apart from Him, they can do nothing (John 15:5; Galatians 5:16).

5. Perseverance Through Trials

Ask God to sustain them through whatever trials they may be experiencing. Pray that He will use these challenges to strengthen their faith, refine their character, and mature them in Christ (James 1:2-4; Romans 5:3-5).

6. Those They Will Disciple

Pray that they will become a disciple-maker themselves, and ask God to lead them to others they can help in their walk with Jesus (2 Timothy 2:2).

Can you imagine what someone’s life may look like if they had someone in their corner praying these things for them regularly? Let that “someone in their corner” be you!

Why Disciple-Making Must Begin with the Gospel

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn DiscipleshipLeave a comment

Today we launched a new discipleship group on my back porch at 6:45am. In our first meeting together, we carefully explained and studied the core message of the gospel. We began with God and His character, considered man’s need because of his sin, Christ’s righteous life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection, and the need for responding in repentance and faith. We discussed our individual experiences hearing, believing, and living the gospel. Though it may seem basic, starting any disciple-making effort must start with the gospel. Here’s why:

1. The gospel is the entry-point into life with God.

A disciple is someone who is following Jesus. Someone who is walking with God. The gospel is the message that brings us to God. The content of the gospel- Christ’s life, death, and resurrection- is the power of God to save (Romans 1:16). By believing it, we become sons and daughters of God, and begin a new life with God. We must start disciple-making with the gospel because it is quite literally the starting point of our lives with God.

2. The gospel is the foundation of walking with God.

Not only is the gospel the starting point of life with God, it is also the foundation of the believer’s future walk with God. We never outgrow our need for the gospel. Every day we are sinners in need of God’s grace. Every day we are recipients of God’s grace in Christ. Every day God sees us, not in our sin, but in the perfect righteousness of the Son.

Continue reading “Why Disciple-Making Must Begin with the Gospel” →

Disciple-Making as an Essential Spiritual Discipline

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn DiscipleshipLeave a comment

Bible-reading. Prayer. Worship. Evangelism. Serving. Giving. Fasting. All of these “spiritual disciplines” are explained and encouraged in most books on the subject. And rightly so! Each one of them is listed in the books that I am currently using to prepare a life group study on practicing the disciplines. But as I went through the lists, I noticed that something was missing: disciple making.

Disciple making is the intentional process of helping other people follow Jesus through relationships. It has not traditionally been regarded as a spiritual discipline, but I think it should. Spiritual disciplines act as scaffolding in the construction of a believer’s relationship with God. They are the habits and patterns of life that all believers should practice in obedience to God’s commands, including His command to make disciples (Matt 28:18-20).

I believe disciple making deserves formal recognition as an essential spiritual discipline right alongside prayer, Bible-intake, giving, fasting praying, etc. Here’s why:

1. Disciple making is obedience to Jesus.

At its core, disciple making is an act of obedience. Jesus’s command to make disciples is not a suggestion but a directive. In John 14:15, Jesus says, “If you love me, keep my commands.” Engaging in disciple making not only demonstrates our willingness to align our lives with Christ’s instructions but is a way of actually loving Him.

2. Disciple making cultivates spiritual growth.

Making disciples is not merely about teaching others; it’s a dynamic process that fosters mutual growth. As we help others follow Jesus, we deepen our relationship with Him as well. Part of this is because you must “walk the walk” before you can model that walk to others (more on accountability below).

In its simplest form, disciple making promotes biblical fellowship, which always edifies both parties. Proverbs 27:17 states, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Both mentor and mentee, group leader and members, are sharpened by each other. One of my favorite aspects of leading the discipleship ministry at our church is hearing from the leaders how much they are growing!

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Nine Lessons on Prayer from the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 6:5-14)

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Discipleship, Imago Dei ClassLeave a comment

The Sermon on the Mount is all about the kingdom-righteousness that Jesus creates in the lives of His people. In Matthew 6:5-14, He teaches us how members of His kingdom should pray. What lessons can we glean about prayer from this section? Let’s take a look.

Continue reading “Nine Lessons on Prayer from the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 6:5-14)” →

The Power of Prayer

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn DiscipleshipLeave a comment

Prayer is a vital aspect of the Christian life and one of the highest privileges of God’s children. But it can be difficult! How then, are we to pray? And how can we persevere in prayer? By remembering the power of prayer. This power is found in the One to whom we pray. It resides the throne room of heaven, where God our Father sits eager to hear and answer the prayers of His people.

Manuscript:

This evening we will be continuing our series Mere Evangelism.[1] For the last few weeks we have been talking about the practice of evangelism: how to communicate the gospel, use imagery, handle objections, and expect opposition. Tonight we are going to discuss one of the vital organs to this body of evangelistic living: prayer.

Without prayer, our evangelism will be plagued by self-dependence, a deadly disease which weakens and kills any effort to serve God. Yet it is not only necessary for evangelism, but for all of Christian living. Someone once asked Charles Spurgeon which was more important, Bible-reading or prayer, to which he responded, “which is more important, breathing out or breathing in?” Prayer is an essential component to any life of faith, any relationship with God, and subsequently, any attempt to do something for God. We must pray.

But prayer is very difficult. Though it should be natural to us to speak to our heavenly Father, we all struggle with when, how, how often, or how long to pray. We need constant encouragement to remain faithful in this spiritual discipline, and we are given such encouragement in the Scriptures! I want to consider several of those tonight with you and look at prayer from a birds eye view and then take a specific look at how it applies to evangelism.  We will look at four aspects of prayer: The privilege of prayer, the pain of prayer, the power of prayer, and the practice of prayer.

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Praying for New Believers

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

When Paul hears of new believers, he immediately prays, and continues to pray, for two things:

1. That they would be filled with the knowledge of God.

2. That they would be strengthened with power.

He prays for these two things so that they may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, bear fruit in their work, and have endurance in their faith. (Colossians 1:9-14).

Let us pray the same for each other, for those who have recently come to faith, and for those who have been walking with Jesus for years. May we all be filled with the knowledge of God and strengthened with His power, so that we may walk in a manner worthy of Him, bear fruit in our works, and have endurance in our faith!

Seven Ways to Get More Out of Sunday Sermons

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn MiscellaneousLeave a comment

For centuries, Christians have considered the preaching of God’s Word to be one of the primary means of grace.  In other words, it is one of the main things God uses not only to save, but to grow and sanctify His people. Does the way we view, prepare for, and listen to preaching reflect this truth? If we really believe that preaching is one of the primary tools God uses to fashion, guide, and grow us, what practices regarding sermon-listening should we develop? I’d like to offer seven.

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