Prayer Devotion

Colossians 4:2-6

In our Sunday service, we have been going over Colossians and the need for prayer. As Paul states in Colossians 4:2-4, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been bound, that I may make it manifest in the way I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, redeeming the time.Let your words always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should answer each person.”

This passage demonstrates that we are to make prayer our constant practice, and at the same time, have an attitude of gratitude (thanksgiving). This practice prepares us to have control over our heart and tongue as we “speak the mystery of Christ” to the world. Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” This beautiful verse reminds believers that God is always in control; this verse, when it is accompanied by Philippians 4:4, 6-7: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice!…Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 



These verses confirm for us that our security for our day-to-day is in Christ, and that we need to trust in His provision, and that starts with a heart of prayer, which leads to fellowship, which leads to the desire to study His Word and grow in our relationship with our Savior. So, what is holding you back from a strong prayer life? And a strong study life in the Bible? Remember that even when we do not know what to pray for, the Holy Spirit gives us utterance: “And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” So, rest assured that your Father in heaven hears you and knows what you need. As Jesus confirmed, “Therefore, do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8).

The Grace of God

Grace is God’s unmerited and undeserved favor that is received from God. Through it, sinners are able to be saved unto eternal life through Jesus Christ. Through this grace we are offered forgiveness of our sins and it strengthens us to walk according to God’s statutes in a changed life that desires God’s faithfulness in our actions. Also, God’s grace in our salvation gives us the confidence and assurance that we are accepted, forgiven, and sustained entirely by God’s love.

We are also told to grow in grace, as 2 Peter 3:18, Peter tells us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.” He is ending his letter and he wants this to be the strong takeaway for his readers. The idea of growing in grace is vital for Christians, as we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) and we are to continue growing (maturing) in God’s grace. The question is, what does that look like for believers?

It begins by walking closer with God using the means that He has provided for us. Such as prayer, we are repeatedly told to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and to “rejoice always” (5:16), both of these commands are ways one walks closer to God. These coupled with our time in His Word, which is one of the most vital infusions of our understanding of who God is and what He desires for and from us daily.

One of the most difficult actions that Christians are to not do, is in Philippians 2:14, which reads, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing,” couple the commands in Philippians 4:6, to “not be anxious about anything.” So how does God use these commands for action (or lack of certain actions) in our life to help us to grow in grace? Well, the end of Philippians 4:6 sums up the prayer life part of it, stating, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” If we begin with Christ

It begins with our walk with the Lord, our remembrance of the forgiveness of our sins, and is completed in our kindness, forgiveness, and demonstration of God’s love to others. This is often seen in our acts reasonable perseverance. I believe Paul sums it up quite well in the book of Romans, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:16-18).