Praying with Epaphras
The following letter was written to Christ Church’s first round of Elder candidates. It is shared here for your growth and encouragement, too.
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Take note of Epaphras. He was imprisoned alongside Paul (Philemon 23) and was a pastor in Colossae. We hear about his gospel ministry, as well as his eagerness to speak highly of the saints, in Colossians 1:7ff. Paul says that they first heard the gospel “…from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.”
As Elders (or soon-to-be Elders), we have an Epaphraditan goal: to be “faithful ministers of Christ,” like he was.
That’s about all we know of Epaphras, with one exception. The only other personal thing we learn about this faithful minister of Christ is what his prayer life was like. Paul says in Colossians 4:12,
“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.”
Epaphras’ Prayer Life
One of the marks of a faithful minister of Christ is his prayer life. Notice a few things from Col 4:12 about Epaphras’ prayers.
First, he doesn’t just “mention” them in his prayers; he struggles. The word is agonizomai (ἀγωνίζομαι), and I’m sure you can see that from this word we have derived our English word “agony.” And the meaning hasn’t changed much over the years from one language to another. To agonizomai is to wrestle, to fight, to labor, to toil. Think of Jacob with the angel — “I will not let you go until you bless me (them)!” He agonized until dawn for the blessing of God.
Second, Epaphras struggled “on your behalf”. The word there is uper (ὑπὲρ), which is the preposition for “over, above.” This is where we get the colloquialism, “I prayed over you.” The sense, however, isn’t spatial; it’s a word that emphasizes caring action directed to a person’s good, for their interest. Epaphras prayed on their behalf because he loved them. He had their interests at heart. Their well-being mattered to him. He was a faithful minister.
Third, Epaphras’ prayers were teleological. That is, they had an aim, a purpose. He wasn’t just thinking of them and mentioning them casually to God — though that’s fine. No, Epaphras had something in mind that he desperately wanted for them, and he prayed to that end. Here’s what he wanted for his people: that they may “stand mature and fully assured in the will of God.” Think about that clause: it boils down to his eagerness for them to stand — to remain steadfast and upright — in two ways: to stand in maturity, and to stand in assurance of what God wants for them. He knows his people well, and he knows what they need. Now he’s struggling with God on their behalf so that they might receive what they need from God. That’s what a faithful minister does.
Here’s what I’m after with all this: as Elders at Christ Church, Epaphras-like prayer is the standard that we hold ourselves to. You may have a rich spiritual discipline of praying for brothers and sisters in the church already. If so, good! Keep growing in it. If not, start now! Spend some time every week struggling on the church’s behalf, as a faithful minister. For most of us this won’t come organically. It must come through discipline.
Paul’s Prayers
We don’t have any examples of Epaphras’ prayers, but we have lots of examples of Paul’s prayers. Paul is constantly praying for the churches, and letting them know of that fact. “I prayed for you, that God might …. in your life.” It’s a good model to follow. I’m going to list out several passages of Paul’s prayers, and his comments on his prayer life, below. Please linger over them. Then what follows is a summary of the various things Paul prays for the saints. Let’s learn from our fellow elder who came before us, and start praying more like Paul.
Romans 1:8–10
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.
1 Thessalonians 1:2–3
We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 3:7–10
…in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?
2 Corinthians 13:5–9
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for.
Ephesians 1:15–23
For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Colossians 1:3–14
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 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, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Philemon 4–7
I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
2 Timothy 1:3–4
I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.
Philippians 1:8–11
For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
2 Thessalonians 1:11–12
To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Summarizing Paul’s Prayers
Paul prayed…
that he might see and encourage them (Ro 1:10, 1 Thess 3:10)
that they might pass the test of faith (2 Cor 13:7)
that they might mature and be restored in unity and faith (2 Cor 13:9)
to thank God for them (Eph 1:16, Col 1:3, 1 Thess 1:2, Phm 4, 2 Tim 1:3)
that they might be full of the Spirit’s wisdom and knowledge of Jesus (Ephesians 1:17–21, Col 1:9, Phm 6)
that they might grow in love (Phil 1:9)
that they might be pure (Phil 1:10, Col 1:10, 2 Thess 1:11)
that they might be fruitful in righteousness (Phil 1:11, Col 1:10, 2 Thess 1:11)
that they might be strengthened (Col 1:11, 2 Thess 1:11)
that they might be thankful (Col 1:12)
I’m sure I’ve missed some and done Paul an injustice with my reductionistic overview. But this is a very good place to start. Let’s pray like Paul, and be faithful ministers like Epaphras, starting here.
I’m thankful for all you, and am praying for you now, that the Lord might equip you for this work and give you a love for his people that drives you toward agonizing prayer on their behalf, for the glory of Jesus.
Bless you all,
Pastor Jon
