The Priority of Prayer in Colossians 4:2-4 -- By: James P. Sweeney
Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 159:635 (Jul 2002)
Article: The Priority of Prayer in Colossians 4:2-4
Author: James P. Sweeney
BSac 159:635 (July 02) p. 318
The Priority of Prayer
in Colossians 4:2-4
James P. Sweeney is Interim Pastoral Assistant, Immanuel Church, Chelmsford, Massachusetts.
Prayer is central to biblical piety. People of prayer in the Old Testament included, among others, Abraham (Gen. 20:17), Isaac (25:21), Jacob (32:9), Moses (Exod. 8:30), Hannah (1 Sam. 1:10; 2:1); David (2 Sam. 7:19–29), Solomon (1 Kings 8:22–53), Daniel (Dan. 9:4–19), and the psalmists (e.g., Pss. 4:1; 6:9; 17:1). Moreover, Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, often prayed (Mark 1:35; 6:46; 14:35, 39), and He taught His disciples how to pray (Matt. 6:5–13; Luke 11:1–4; 18:1–8).1
The early believers in Jerusalem, following the reception of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, devoted themselves to prayer (Acts 2:42; cf. 4:31). Paul’s attention to prayer is expressed frequently in his letters (Rom. 1:10; 10:1),2 and the writers of the other New Testament letters are far from silent about the subject (Heb. 13:18–19; James 5:13–18; 1 Pet. 3:7, 12; 4:7; 1 John 5:16; Jude 20).3
This article focuses on Paul’s teaching about prayer in Colos-
BSac 159:635 (July 02) p. 319
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