In our last visit we studied Paul’s prayer found in Colossians 1:3-12. Today let’s look at the life of Epaphras, mentioned twice in Colossians and in Philemon 23.
Colossians 1:7 says the Colossians heard the good news of Jesus Christ from Epaphras, who had lived among them. He was a dear fellow servant who was faithful in his work for Jesus Christ, when in their midst and then as a partner of Paul.
In Colossians 4:12-13, it adds that he sends greetings, and that he always wrestled in prayer for them, that they’d stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. Paul affirms his diligence as a representative of the believers in Colossi, Laodicea and Hierapolis. These three cities formed a triangle just east of Ephesus, in Turkey.
Here was a man who helped establish the church in his home town, Colossi, and then was sent by this church to be part of Paul’s missionary team planting churches elsewhere.
According to Philemon he was in prison with Paul for his activities. But he wasn’t pouting or complaining. He was praying intensely all the time, implied by the word, “wrestling.” He was praying strategically – “that they may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.” Notice how his prayer reflected what Paul prayed for, as seen in our previous study.
He didn’t let his circumstances get the best of him. In fact, he did his best work in the worst of circumstances. You can’t do anything better than pray. Let me encourage you to follow his example, and pray for me, that I too might follow his example.