A Study from Colossians 3:12-14
LEARNING TO PRAY WITH GODLY CHARACTER
TAKE A GOOD LOOK
“Since God chose you to be the holy people, whom He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12-14
I like to think of this passage as a beautiful painting of the Heart of God. It encourages us to take on the characteristics that our Lord exhibits when He relates to His people.
• List the character traits with which we are to clothe ourselves.
• Talk about why it is important to have the kind of heart that exhibits these traits.
• What does your spiritual heart look like?When we make the commitment to allow the Lord to change our hearts, we will learn to pray more effectively. We will pray with tenderness. We will express kindness and patience in our prayers. We will be humble and loving as we pray for others. Make that commitment right now.
THIS IS GOD’S WILL
“You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” Colossians 3:15
• List the ways we are encouraged to respond to those with whom we associate.
• What does the person who clothes him or herself in love look like?
• Talk about what it means to have Christ rule in our hearts.
• This passage tells us that we are to live in peace. How can we achieve this?Love, forgiveness, peace, harmony and gratefulness are all prerequisites for effective prayer. When we pray with anger, hatred, disunity and greed we will not accomplish anything except to let God know that we are in need of His grace.
TRY IT GOD’S WAY
“Let the words of Christ in all their richness live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:16-17
• How do you think the rich words of Christ can make you wise?
• What does it mean to allow the words of Christ to live in your hearts?
• Have you ever used His words to teach others? Would you like to do so?
• What do you think will happen when we sing these songs as a prayer for our national leaders, the people
of our nation and the nations of the world?
The last verse in this important passage gives us a strong command. In everything you do and say be a true representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. When you face a situation that you are not sure of, pray about it. Ask yourself this question: What would Jesus do? Then go do it.
In the days to come, make an effort to obey these scriptures. Take the time to pray about your heart and allow the Lord to show you areas of need. When you are tired and someone is really on your nerves, try forgiveness and patience rather than anger. When you want your way and someone else opposes you, try peace rather than disunity. Remember God never asks us to discipline our hearts without providing the strength we need to finish the task. His love is extended toward us while we are sharing it with others.
Now you will be able to pray with joy and peace and to embark on the exciting adventure of communication with God. You will be able to pray with a pure heart and right motives. Most of all, you will be learning how to love those for whom you pray.
DEFINITIONS
Mercy: If you show mercy, you will forgive the faults of those who do wrong.
Kindness: If you show kindness, you are friendly, generous, and helpful.
Humility: If you show humility, you are not too proud, and you recognize your own faults.
Gentleness: If you show gentleness, you are not rough but kind and sensitive.
Patience: If you have patience, you can put up with problems and delays without getting angry.
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