2026-11-02 · 28 Days of Giving Thanks
Day 2: Colossians 1:3–8 | 28 Days of Giving Thanks
Today's reading: Colossians 1:3–8 (ESV)
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
Dr. Ed Bradley: Colossians 1:3-6a
Why do you pray for other people? Most often it is because of a crisis alert. Your prayers are prompted by a critical illness, a loss of a job, a car accident, a relational crisis, or a major personal need. Your prayers are an expression of concern for someone you know or love.
Paul in this passage speaks of another facet of prayer for others. Paul is thankful for the demonstration of the Gospel in the lives of others which brings glory to God.
Note in this passage three important points.
Paul’s prayers for other believers are not an infrequent occurrence. “We always thank God” is not a statement of constant prayer but of intentional regularity.
Second, Paul’s prayer for other believers highlights both their faith in Jesus Christ and the outcome of that faith, which are acts of loving one another. It is both the receiving of the Gospel and the giving of the Gospel that excites Paul.
Third, their faith and life of service to one another springs from the hope they have found in the promises of the Gospel. Their love for one another and their faith in Jesus is an informed action of heart and mind.
Who have you prayed for today who is showing the world the love of God through acts of faith in Jesus Christ and loving service to the believers?
From The Upper Loft by Dr. Ed Bradley. © Dr. Ed Bradley. Used by permission. Scripture passage from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. esv.org
Scripture quotations in Dr. Bradley's devotional are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.