The Nugget:
Col 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
My Comment:
We can learn much about prayer from Paul by studying Paul’s single sentence description of the prayer ministry of Epaphras.
Notice, first of all, that Epaphras always labored fervently in prayers for the Colossians.
It is instructive to explore this theme by studying the cross references given for always in the New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge or The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury which I share below:
always. See on Col 4:2, Luk 11:8; Luk 18:1; Luk 22:44, Rom 12:12, Gal 4:19, *Heb 5:7, +*Jas 5:16.
These texts read as follows:
Colossians 4:2
2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
King James Version
This command urges us to continue in our prayers, to watch in the same, combined with thanksgiving.
Luke 11:8
8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
King James Version
Jesus taught that persistence in prayer brings results.
Luke 18:1
1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
King James Version
Jesus again taught that persistence in prayer brings results. If you know your Bible well enough you will recall how Jesus compares a woman who persisted in getting justice from an unwilling judge, until the judge in exasperation granted her request to be rid of the aggravation. Jesus compares this to how God, in contrast, will certainly avenge and protect his own elect, “which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them” (Luke 18:7). Jesus concludes with the question (Luke 18:8), Shall the Son of man “find faith on the earth” when He comes?
Romans 12:12
12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
King James Version
Paul instructs us to continue instant, or stedfastly, in prayer.
The “always” in Paul’s description of the prayers of Epaphras encourages us to keep on praying, even when we do not see or otherwise learn of immediate results.
This also serves to correct the sometimes mistaken idea about prayer that we need only to pray once about something. The whole Bible teaches otherwise! To investigate this Bible theme, check out the cross references given for Exodus 2:23, 24, 25!