Colossians 1:3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

These opening thoughts in Paul's letter are more than mere fluff to try to attract the attention of his readers. They are deep truths and memories upon which to build the deeper discussion he is about to have with them.  He and Timothy, along with Epaphras and other believers, were indeed praying for them with thanksgiving and affection. They were thankful for their reception of the Gospel and for the reports they had heard about the resulting spiritual fruit in their lives, not the least of which was the love and unity the Holy Spirit was displaying in their body.  As well as being positive thoughts on which to meditate, these also serve as points to ponder for all believers and bodies of believers. Are they evident in our lives? How strong is the foundation upon which we can be built higher, stronger, and further?