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Now this was praying, but it was certainly not watching and praying, for when the
answer came, they were unprepared for it. However, we have no stones to throw at these
believers, for how many times in the experience of both the writer and reader has this not
been repeated? May God keep us wide awake to recognize immediately His answers to
our petitions.
"Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving" (Col. 4: 2).
6. True prayer has an intensity and earnestness behind it.
We know little of Epaphras and his ministry, but of two things we can be certain: his
keenness and practical love for the saints at Colosse and Laodicea (Col. 4: 13) and his
vital prayer life.
"Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring
fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of
God" (Col. 4: 12).
"Labouring fervently" is a translation of the Greek word agonizo. While it would be
going too far to translate this word "agonize" as some have done, it has in its composition
the word agon meaning a race or contest and it brings before our mind the fact that
effective praying has behind it an intensity of effort compared to an athlete running a
race. Does this characteristic truthfully describe our praying? An apathetic or spasmodic
prayer life accomplished nothing and often we may be convinced of laxity in this respect.
7. True prayer is offered to God the Father in Christ's Name.
In the N.T. prayer is always directed to God the Father (Eph. 3: 14) and offered in the
Name of the Lord Jesus (Eph. 3: 21) and interpreted by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8: 26).
How often have we heard in public, prayer finished with the phrase "for Christ's sake,
Amen" and so rushed over as though it was of little importance and merely a formal or
correct way of concluding. Do we realize that it is only because of the Lord Jesus Christ
and His precious redemptive work that prayer is possible at all? If we do, then we shall
be very conscious of this supreme fact as we pray and ask that all His fragrance should be
cast over all our spiritual breathings to God.
8. True prayer is protective.
The Lord Jesus, looking ahead to Peter's denial of Himself, says to him: "Satan hath
desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for thee that thy
faith fail not" (Luke 22: 31, 32). Literally the words read, "I have prayed (peri) around
thee". Peter was, as it were, surrounded with a wall of protective prayer by the Lord. No
wonder he was so soon to be smitten with remorse and turn back to Him, from his
grievous fall, with true repentance.
The Lord uses the same expression in John 17: 9, 20, "I pray for (peri) them, I pray
not for (peri) the world" (verse 9). "Neither pray I for (peri) these alone, but also for
(peri) those who shall believe through their word" (verse 20).