Spirit-Living Devotional
Apostle Osborn
TRAVAILS IN PRAYER
[[Gal 4:19]] KJV My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
Galatians 4 is dedicated to the growth of the child of God. From verse 1, Paul talks about the fact that a child of God who refused to grow will not be different from a slave even though he is an heir. Then he further explains that the way we grow is by submitting to teachings of tutor or our leaders in the local church.
Then he focuses on one important element that causes God’s people to grow in the things of God: travailing prayer. Travailing prayer is praying according to the groaning of the Spirit with for the formation of Christ in the souls that you disciple.
Paul said, he travails again in birth till Christ be formed in them. ‘Travail again’, means he had travailed before. You see, prayer of travail will cause you to get souls born again. But after they are born again, Christ must be formed in them. In other words, they must become more like Christ. And this is achieved through travailing again and again in prayer.
‘Formed’ is ‘morphoo’ in Greek, from ‘metamorphosis’. So the formation here refers to a transformation to the next stage in lifestyle just like the metamorphosis stages of a butterfly. Your souls must be able to moved from just being saved to becoming prayerful, zealous, practicing holiness, serving actively in church, winning souls, etc. These things must be formed in them. And this is why you must travail again and again in prayer until this nature of Christ is formed in them. Glory to God. I see you birth many souls into the kingdom through your travail.
Prayer:
Dear God, please help me to be an effective discipler of the souls you commit to my trust. I receive the grace and energy of the Spirit to travail relentlessly in prayer till Christ be formed in them. I declare my souls grow exceedingly in grace and in the knowledge of the LORD Jesus.
