Rx for Success!
“Epaphras … always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.“
(Colossians 4:12)
Epaphras, Paul’s esteemed colleague and thought to be the founder of the Colossian church, was also a known prayer worker/warrior, laboring fervently in prayer to ensure the lovers of Jesus in the city of Colossae were fully equipped and solidly consummate in every aspect of God’s will.
An exegesis of this verse with a focus on the terms “stand”, “perfect” & “complete” are beyond the scope of this discussion, but the reader is strongly encouraged to study it in various translations, particularly the AMP, NLT, TPT, NIRV & CEV (the Amplified, New Living Translation, Passion Translation, New International Readers & Contemporary English versions respectively) – to enjoy better insights into his goal in praying so thoroughly, fervently and effectively. That his prayers accomplished their purpose is unquestionable, given Paul’s glowing commendations and the historical legacy of the Colossian church.
God wants us to be “perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:4) in every area of our lives – spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally, vocationally, geographically, financially; you name it – God’s got it purposed for you “exceedingly, abundantly, above anything you could ask or imagine…” (Ephesians 3:20); i.e., like any good parent, He has superlatively grand plans for each of His children!
After seeing, believing, receiving, conceiving, embracing and confessing God’s destiny plan for our lives (Genesis 15:4-6; Heb 11:11 & 13), we must birth them into earth’s reality by praying them into manifestation in this physical realm – “…. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven …”. Note the significance of this requirement as reflected in Jesus’ response to the disciples’ request that He teach them how to pray, having observed the power, efficiency & effectiveness of His prayers and how they translated to His astounding success (Luke 11:1-2)!
Epaphras’ prayer suggests that we are incomplete and only partially fulfilling God’s plan when we are successful in one but not other areas of life (excluding references to God’s natural process of time and preparation specific to those areas), for God desires wholistic representation and real-time actualization, and has purposed that we enjoy His fullness in every regard.
So how do we get there? We are to imitate Epaphras and utilize spirituality’s secret sauce (i.e., his saintly superpowers!) – hidden in plain sight in his dynamic model prayer!
Paul, Epaphras’ colleague and possibly his mentor, spiritual father, and the known author of two thirds of the New Testament, has the same secret sauce strewn all over His letters, commonly referred to as the “Pauline Epistles”. Each contain prophetic blessings and prayers (usually at the beginning and the end, but often also interwoven into the body of the missive).
Here are just a few that constitute some of Paul’s prescriptive prayers, i.e., his secret sauce/superpowers for success (a plethora of others exist throughout God’s Word, but these “Pauline Prayers” are dear to this writer’s heart because they possess a unique approach that has tremendously impacted her life. She has found them to be one of the most efficient and least circuitous ways to align one’s heart, mind, and circumstances with God and His purposes). The heart disposition, mental adjustment and circumstantial alignment these prayers promptly effect comprise the secret sauce that fuels and facilitates all other prayers a believer could pray, serving as the foundation and superpowers behind the answers to ALL prayers made to the one true God and Father of our Savior Jesus Christ.
God’s Word is inherently prescriptive and medicinal (see Proverbs 4:20-22; Psalms 107:20; etc.), but its pharmacological and therapeutic abilities are only activated and elucidative of results when fully and intentionally engaged. As medications are ineffective unless taken as directed; the Word of God is ineffective until intentionally engaged as directed. The reader is urged to contemplate, personalize, verbalize, pray them through, and receive their empowering grace a minimum of twice a day (according to God’s prescriptive instructions/established roadmap for success reflected in Psalms 1:2-3; 55:17; Joshua 1:8-9; Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and others) consecutively for at least a week (or until definitive results are seen in the desired areas of life), and as needed thereafter.
Ephesians 1:17-21: …”that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”
Ephesians 3:14-20: “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us …”
Phillipians 1:9-11: “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
Colossians 1:9-12: “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.”
Hebrews 13:20-21: “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
1 Thessalonians 3:12-13: “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all … 13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ …”
1 Thessalonians 5:23: “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12: “Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17: “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.”
2 Thessalonians 3:5: “Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.”
2 Thessalonians 3:16,18: “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.”
Bonus Rx (Non-Pauline)
Jude 24: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy …”
*All scriptural quotes are from the New King James Version (NKJV). The reader is encouraged to investigate, ingest, digest & activate using their preferred or the versions suggested above.
CAUTION 
~ Supreme Law (The Law of The Spirit of Life, Romans 8 *K.O.H.C. § 2 (AD 57). https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8%3A2&version=NKJV) prohibits from NOT dispensing/sharing these prescriptions with others.
~ The active ingredients in these prescriptive prayers and the results they confer are HIGHLY ADDICTIVE when used as prescribed, and are likely to establish a life-long DEPENDENCE on the irrecoverable STIMULANT EFFECTS of God’s person, presence, purpose, will and Word!!
For Your Listening & Succeeding Pleasure
God Will Work It Out (Maverick City Music)
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=URuIldVKk9U&feature=share
Ebenezer (Nathaniel Bassey/Victoria Orenze)
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=geRe1uHRmGQ&feature=share
The Blessing (Cody Carnes/Kari Jobe/Elevation Worship)
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp6aygmvzM4&feature=share
Living In The Overflow (Charity Gayle/Joshua Sherman)
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=73cYVmCKpz8&feature=share