The Letter of St. Paul
to the
Colossians
Chapter
1
1. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2. To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
(The Letter of Paul to the Colossians Chapter 1 verses 1 to 2)
Oh God, my Father how nice it would be if when giving a description of ourselves we include along with our list of credentials that, we are believers in Jesus Christ the Son of God who was offered as an offering for our redemption! Amen
3. In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4. for we have heard your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5. because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel 6. that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God.
(The Letter of the Paul to the Colossians Chapter 1 verses 3 to 6)
Oh God my Father, that we may offer our prayers on behalf of other Christians so that we be united in the spirit of the Gospel as one family. May we also be fertile ground for Your Word of grace so that it will shed firm roots in us and continue to grow and bear the good fruit of the Holy Spirit in us Amen.
7. This you learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8. and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
(The Letter of Paul to the Colossians Chapter 1 verses 7 to 8)
Oh God, my Father I thank You for the many people that You have sent to guide, inspire and teach me to love You more and grow in my relationship with You. Among the many people or and ministers I would like to refer to Joyce Meyer, whom You have reached me by means of this person especially during this week, where You showed me the need to give and donate more to others. Amen
9. For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10. so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. 11. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12. giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
(The Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians Chapter 1 verses 9 to 12)
Oh God, my Father what a beautiful blessing. It is so powerful that it is worthy of being printed on all wedding or birthday cards or even anniversary cards, for it is extraordinarily rich in content and meaning Amen. May we all bless each other with such a blessing Amen.
13. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14. in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
(The Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians Chapter 1 verses 13 to 14)
Oh God my Father You have saved us from the clutch of the forces of darkness and opened the door of heaven for us, however, we are like a pendulum, and swing from doing good to evil, even though we wish to do good Amen.
15. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16. for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers-all things have been created through him and for him. 17. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20. and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
(The Letter of St.Paul to the Colossians Chapter 1 verses 15 to 20)
Oh God this is our creed in what we believe, that all was created by You and not by means of a process of evolution. When You inspired St.Paul to write this letter to the Colossians and when formulating the Creed that we recite and hold as being true it is clear that You primarily through Yourself created all things, Therefore this leaves no space for creation through evolution Amen.
Reflection on God as in the Creed as Master Creator
21. And You who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22. he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him - 23 provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I Paul, became a servant of this gospel.
(The Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians Chapter 1 verses 21 to 23)
Oh God my Father, I thank You for saving me from my past, and helping me in my present. Thank You for accepting to be crucified for my sins and for having them in Your flesh to be offered as a living sacrifice for my salvation. I pray that You continue helping me so that my ways will always be according to Your ways, and that with Your help I will bring this assignment to its fulfilment Amen. As in the case of the Apostle Paul, I did not wait for the go ahead of the Roman Catholic Church but proceeded under the permission of the Holy Spirit of God to this very day Amen.
24. I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is the church.
(The Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians Chapter 1 verse 24)
Oh God my Father, Your passion was a total offering covering all the sins that were done from the beginning of time to the end of time, therefore there was nothing lacking in it. However, it is nice to include our pains and sufferings with yours not to replace Your pain but to give it to You as an offering of love. Amen. When we accept our tribulations as being according to Your will the pain will decrease compared to if we accept it as a curse from You or as a tragic episode Amen.
25. I became its servant according to God's commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26. the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. 27. To them God chose to make known how great among the gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
(The Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians Chapter 1 verses 25 to 27 )
Oh God when sharing Your Word online along with the prayers that You give me and make known to me, together we are continuing the assignment that You gave to the apostles to spread the Word to the ends of the world so that all will have awareness of You and Your love for them and us. Amen.
28. It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29. For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me.
(The Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians Chapter 1 verses 28 to 29 )
Oh God almighty my God and Father, I am happy to be part of this mission of proclaiming the message of the Good News to those who have good will, faith and motivation to accept You as their God and accept Your instruction so that we will continue to grow and become mature in our relationship with You. My God I share the same aim of the apostles although I am not ordained as an apostle, but who is not against You is with You. Amen.
Oh God my Father I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:
I thank You, my God and Father, for giving me a small portion of the ministry of proclaiming the 'Good News' online as I always had wished to do. I also thank You for being active in my life, even during moments when I do not feel Your presence even though You are always there. I pray for all those who are part of this great big ministry bless them and protect them from the forces of evil both in themselves and even around them.
3. In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4. for we have heard your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5. because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel 6. that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God.
(The Letter of the Paul to the Colossians Chapter 1 verses 3 to 6)
Oh God my Father, that we may offer our prayers on behalf of other Christians so that we be united in the spirit of the Gospel as one family. May we also be fertile ground for Your Word of grace so that it will shed firm roots in us and continue to grow and bear the good fruit of the Holy Spirit in us Amen.
7. This you learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8. and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
(The Letter of Paul to the Colossians Chapter 1 verses 7 to 8)
Oh God, my Father I thank You for the many people that You have sent to guide, inspire and teach me to love You more and grow in my relationship with You. Among the many people or and ministers I would like to refer to Joyce Meyer, whom You have reached me by means of this person especially during this week, where You showed me the need to give and donate more to others. Amen
9. For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10. so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. 11. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12. giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
(The Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians Chapter 1 verses 9 to 12)
Oh God, my Father what a beautiful blessing. It is so powerful that it is worthy of being printed on all wedding or birthday cards or even anniversary cards, for it is extraordinarily rich in content and meaning Amen. May we all bless each other with such a blessing Amen.
13. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14. in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
(The Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians Chapter 1 verses 13 to 14)
Oh God my Father You have saved us from the clutch of the forces of darkness and opened the door of heaven for us, however, we are like a pendulum, and swing from doing good to evil, even though we wish to do good Amen.
15. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16. for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers-all things have been created through him and for him. 17. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20. and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
(The Letter of St.Paul to the Colossians Chapter 1 verses 15 to 20)
Oh God this is our creed in what we believe, that all was created by You and not by means of a process of evolution. When You inspired St.Paul to write this letter to the Colossians and when formulating the Creed that we recite and hold as being true it is clear that You primarily through Yourself created all things, Therefore this leaves no space for creation through evolution Amen.
Reflection on God as in the Creed as Master Creator
21. And You who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22. he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him - 23 provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I Paul, became a servant of this gospel.
(The Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians Chapter 1 verses 21 to 23)
Oh God my Father, I thank You for saving me from my past, and helping me in my present. Thank You for accepting to be crucified for my sins and for having them in Your flesh to be offered as a living sacrifice for my salvation. I pray that You continue helping me so that my ways will always be according to Your ways, and that with Your help I will bring this assignment to its fulfilment Amen. As in the case of the Apostle Paul, I did not wait for the go ahead of the Roman Catholic Church but proceeded under the permission of the Holy Spirit of God to this very day Amen.
24. I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is the church.
(The Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians Chapter 1 verse 24)
Oh God my Father, Your passion was a total offering covering all the sins that were done from the beginning of time to the end of time, therefore there was nothing lacking in it. However, it is nice to include our pains and sufferings with yours not to replace Your pain but to give it to You as an offering of love. Amen. When we accept our tribulations as being according to Your will the pain will decrease compared to if we accept it as a curse from You or as a tragic episode Amen.
25. I became its servant according to God's commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26. the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. 27. To them God chose to make known how great among the gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
(The Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians Chapter 1 verses 25 to 27 )
Oh God when sharing Your Word online along with the prayers that You give me and make known to me, together we are continuing the assignment that You gave to the apostles to spread the Word to the ends of the world so that all will have awareness of You and Your love for them and us. Amen.
28. It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29. For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me.
(The Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians Chapter 1 verses 28 to 29 )
Oh God almighty my God and Father, I am happy to be part of this mission of proclaiming the message of the Good News to those who have good will, faith and motivation to accept You as their God and accept Your instruction so that we will continue to grow and become mature in our relationship with You. My God I share the same aim of the apostles although I am not ordained as an apostle, but who is not against You is with You. Amen.
Oh God my Father I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:
I thank You, my God and Father, for giving me a small portion of the ministry of proclaiming the 'Good News' online as I always had wished to do. I also thank You for being active in my life, even during moments when I do not feel Your presence even though You are always there. I pray for all those who are part of this great big ministry bless them and protect them from the forces of evil both in themselves and even around them.
Thank You, Jesus
No comments:
Post a Comment