Some years ago, a fascinating truth nudged its way into my heart: the Apostle Paul penned his letter to the Colossians without ever stepping foot in their city or shaking a single hand in that congregation. Imagine that! No personal visits, no familiar faces. Yet, that didn’t stop him from lifting them up in heartfelt prayer and intercession.

In Colossians chapter 1, verses 9-11, we glimpse the very blueprint of Paul’s prayers for these distant believers. And what a magnificent model it is for us, today, as we pray for the precious congregations where God has planted us!

Here’s how Paul poured out his heart:

9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God even better. 11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy. (NLT)

Why not pause for a moment, right now, and pray for the church family God has placed you in? Speak these words aloud, slowly, letting each phrase settle deep within your spirit:

“Lord God, I pray for (name of your congregation). Grant us complete knowledge of Your will, and give us wisdom and spiritual understanding, so we may produce every kind of good fruit and grow as we learn to know You more and more. We also ask that You strengthen us with Your glorious power, so we may have the endurance and patience we need, in Jesus’ name, Amen.“

This isn’t a magical incantation to memorize and recite emptily. No, no. This is a divine suggestion, a prayer framework built on what the Bible itself teaches us to ask for our spiritual homes.

Notice the powerful requests woven into Paul’s prayer, and now, into ours:

• Full Knowledge of His Will
• Wisdom and Spiritual Understanding
• Strengthened with God’s Glorious Power

I nudge you, dear friend, to make this a daily practice. Pray for your congregation, your small group, your discipleship gathering, your Bible study, your ministry – indeed, for every group that gathers in the name of Jesus. Always include these three petitions. And I promise you, you’ll begin to witness a new dimension of what God is capable of doing in the midst of His people.

And here’s another invitation: Share this message! Pass it along to other congregations, pastors, prayer ministries, Christian friends, and on your social media. Let’s unite, with one heart and one voice, interceding for the body of Christ. Together, we can grow, day by day, as we learn to know God more and more.

Blessings!

And remember this comforting truth:

We are sure that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him; and since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. (1 John 5:14-15 NLT)