Volume 3 Post/Email 8 – Colossians 4:2
by brian
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
When my spiritual life is unfocused, I suffer. A lack of devotion to speaking with God is costly.
1. I am not prepared to deal with Satan and temptation when I am not devoted to prayer.
2. My attitude drifts from being grateful and positive when I am not devoted to prayer.
3. The Great Commission of Jesus Christ is less of a priority when I am not devoted to prayer.
Colossians 4:3 reads, "And pray for us too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains."
Colossians 4:5 reads, "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity."
Am I watchful and thankful?
Without being devoted to prayer, being thankful is difficult, and being watchful even harder.
However, when my spiritual life is focused, God grants me wisdom and strength for any temptation.
When my spiritual life is focused, God cleanses my heart from ungrateful, unloving, and negative attitudes.
When my spiritual life is focused, God's will for my influence on others is my will, and so I am watchful for people to pray for and to have beneficial spiritual conversations with.
Colossians 4:6 - "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."
A good measure for assessing my spiritual conversations is whether they are grace-oriented. Paul teaches us to be "full of grace" when talking with others about God.
Obviously, being "devoted" (vs. 2) implies an ongoing, continual, everyday practice.
Everyday Let God Use You to pray for others, speak with others, and be a Christian example for others.
Let's be devoted to prayer, being watchful and thankful!
-Brian
