“That their hearts may be encouraged. Being knit together in love to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
-Colossians 2:2–3
Oh, what a great couple of verses with such powerful imagery about followers of Jesus, brothers and sisters in Christ being knit together in love. Isn’t that a great picture? To be knit together with other followers of Jesus, in love. As together, you reach all the riches of full assurance, of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery. You’re growing together to experience the full riches of what it means to be in Christ and Christ to be in you as we prayed about and see in Colossians 1:27. But the phrase I want to focus on as we pray is the very first phrase in Colossians 2:2–3.
Colossians 2:2–3 Encourages Our Hearts
It says that their hearts may be encouraged and this is what Paul is saying in the verse right before this. He basically says, “I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those that lay out to see you and for all who have not seen me face to face, I want their hearts to be encouraged.” Then he goes on, “That they would be knit together in love and reach all the full assurance of understanding and knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ.”
He wants their hearts to be encouraged and I just want us to think about the opportunity we have today to encourage somebody else’s heart, as followers of Jesus and specifically thinking about a brother or sister in Christ. Can I just encourage you, challenge you to look for an opportunity today to encourage someone else’s heart in Christ, encourage somebody else with all they have in Christ and just speak words into their life that will build them up today in Christ. Go out of your way, be intentional about encouraging somebody’s heart.
Reminded of Those Who Are Hurting
There are brothers and sisters in Christ who are inevitably hurting in different ways, who are discouraged in different ways, all around you. So look for an opportunity today to encourage somebody else’s heart. Even as I want to pray over you for encouragement of your heart. God, I know that there are many people listening to this right now who are discouraged in different ways and I just want to pray for their encouragement, for encouragement in their hearts, that they would know in a fresh way, even right now, your love for them. That they would know you see them and you care for them. You are with them and you promise to give them everything they need today. That they have Christ in them.
The hope of glory. God, I pray that their hearts would be encouraged in you today. In who you’ve made them to be, your child, your son or daughter. That you are their father, that they have relationship with you. That they have assurance in you. And that they have Christ in them in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Colossians 2:2–3 Leads Us to Pray for God’s Help
Then, oh God, I pray that you would help all of us today to do what Paul was doing right here in Colossians 2:2–3. To encourage others’ hearts. God, I pray in my own life. I pray for each one of us that you would help us to intentionally encourage somebody else’s heart today. In the process that we would be more knit together in love and that together. That we would reach all the richest full assurance of understanding. The knowledge of your mystery which is Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. God use us today. We pray, to encourage others hearts. Knit us together as your children in love in deeper ways as a result. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
