30-Day Personal Devotion Challenge Day 29

Good Morning Church Family – Day 29

Read Colossians 4:12-13

Devo Thought: Again, today, the Apostle Paul continues to list people who have had an impact on him and on the Kingdom of God. We return to find our friend Epaphras, who we already sent time talking about a few weeks ago. What more could Paul say about him that he hasn’t already said. There is still more to say though. Paul says that Epaphras is “always struggling on your behalf in his prayers” for the Colossians. Have you ever had a person who advocated for you, for struggled to see you succeed? This idea of struggling in prayer for someone reminded me of the story of the church saint Augustine. Augustine spent a large part of his youth in partying and chasing after women and highs. He was looking for the “good life” in any place other than God. He was regularly sleeping with prostitutes and eventually had a son out of wedlock. His mother, Monica, was busying working for her son though. She wasn’t lecturing him about his wayward path or beating him over the head with the Bible or with his sin. Instead, she struggled in prayer. Day after day, for 17 years, she prayed that God would reach him and change his life. One day, Augustine found himself in a courtyard with a Bible next to him. He heard some children playing a game, and for some reason, they kept repeating the phrase, “Take up and read.” Eventually, he picked up the Bible next to him and read and his life was changed. Here’s the thing. While that moment changed his life, that moment was proceeded by 17 years of a praying mother, struggling for her son. This is what Epaphras is commended for. If you’ve been Epaphras or Monica, keep on struggling in prayer. If you’ve been struggled for in prayer, give thanks to God and to your Epaphras or Monica.

Prayer – Let us continue to struggle in prayer and thank God for those who have struggled for us.