Hi there. This is Mary DeMuth and this is Pray Every Day where I pray through the Bible verse by verse as a joy and a privilege to do so. So great to have you here on the very last day of September. I hope it's been a good September for you. I want to pray for someone today who's struggling with arthritis and the effects of arthritis. Lord, I lift up my friend who is hurting and who is

stressed out and frustrated from all this pain in their body. I pray for those who struggle

with rheumatoid arthritis, which can be its own really debilitating situation. I pray, Lord, that

there would be better protocols in place, that the doctors would understand more, that there would be a perfect diagnosis. And Lord, that there would be better protocols in place, that the doctors would understand more,

that there would be a perfect diagnosis, and Lord, that you would walk with them through the pain.

I pray, of course, that you would eradicate that pain as well. And I pray maybe if there's someone

out there who loves someone that has arthritis, that you would give them empathy and just an

understanding of the privilege it is to walk alongside someone who is suffering.

I pray all of this in Jesus' name. Amen. Okay, we're reading Colossians chapter 1,

verses 15 through 29 in the world English Bible. This is what it says. He is the image of the

invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all

things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible things and invisible things, whether

thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things have been created through him and for

him. He is before all things and in him all things are held together.

He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead

that in all things he might have the pre-eminence.

For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him and through him to reconcile all things to himself by him, whether things on the

earth or things in the heavens having made peace through the blood of his cross. You being in the past times

alienated and enemies in your mind and in your evil deeds, yet now he has reconciled in the body

of his flesh through death

to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him. If it is so that you continue

in the faith grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the good news which you

...