Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.
— Colossians 4:12
Sometimes prayer is hard work, plain and simple. One friend in ministry is committed to spend four hours in prayer every day. While he has experienced some moments of great pleasure in God’s presence, he said that it’s mostly an exercise of buffeting his body and mastering the desires of his flesh.
My friend’s experience seems similar to Epaphras’s. Paul said that Epaphras struggled in his prayers for the Colossian Christians. Epaphras was fighting for - contending for - the Colossians. Like Jacob, Epaphras would not let God go until he blessed them.
Let’s keep praying with unrelenting zeal for our nation. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Keep doing the hard work of prayer for revival in America. Your prayers, like Epaphras’s, will make many American Christians “stand mature and fully assure in all the will of God.”
Yours in Christ,
Chuck Hetzler, Ph.D.
Senior Associate, Christian Union Day and Night
The Great Experiment
Unite with Christians from across the country in The Great Experiment, a ten-day commitment from November 1-10, 2019. Together, we will be seeking God and sharing His gospel in faith-stretching ways that His will would be done in our lives and in our nation. Learn more and sign up now — The Great Experiment - Christian Union Day & Night!
