Dear friends,
I would like to encourage you to pray spontaneously, from the heart. But I know that can be difficult if you've either never done it or are, for one reason or another, suspicious of it.
And so what I've done is taken several verses from Colosians and have changed the wording ever so slightly to turn it into a personal act of praise and worship.
What follows is two sections. The first is my adaption of St. Paul's words, and then, beneath that, the exact word of St. Paul so that you can see how faithful the adaption is.
I hope it a help to you.
1. An act of praise and worship
Jesus Christ, you are the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. By You all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through You and for You. And You are before all things, and in You all things hold together. And You are the head of the body, the church. You are the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; in everything You are be preeminent! For in You all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through You to reconcile to Yourself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of Your cross.
I _________ who was once alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, You have now reconciled in your body of flesh by Your death, in order to present me holy and blameless and above reproach before You, if indeed I continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that I heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven.
I who was dead in my trespasses and the uncircumcision of my flesh, You have made alive, having forgiven me all my trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against me with its legal demands. This You set aside, nailing it to the cross. You have disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them.
With joy, I give thanks to you, Father, for you have qualified me to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. You have delivered me from the domain of darkness and transferred me to the kingdom of your beloved Son, in whom I have redemption, the forgiveness of my sins.
2. The exact words of St. Paul
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled bin his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. (Col 1:15-23)
having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (Col 2:12-15)
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. (Col 1:11-14)
