Colossians 4: 2-6 - Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 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. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Paul’s closing advice to the churches in Colossae. He tells us to devote ourselves to prayer…to be watchful…to look for doors to open to share the gospel of Christ with others. He also gives us some great advice to keep those conversations we have with others full of grace…to ‘season them with salt’…so that we are wise in our answers to others. He once again uses that word… ‘thankful’…he tells us to be thankful…to always thank God for whatever situation…even the chains of prison. After all…. his time in prison opened a door for him to write beautiful letters of encouragement for us to read and learn from hundreds of years later!
How can anyone go wrong if they spend more time in prayer? I for one struggle with this one…God has blessed me with a busy life….a full schedule of things to do each day. I have learned to be obedient in one thing…to start my day with him….to write and process the time I spent in his word…which has opened not just my eyes…but he is opening my heart to the many sins I harbored in my life. But I still struggle to deepen my prayers…I do well to ask God to bless my writing…to petition God for a few needs of friends and family. I sometimes ask him to help me at school…if I remember. Paul is telling us to ‘devote’ ourselves to prayer…to really stay in an attitude of prayer all day…to consult God in everything we do…especially to ask him for opportunities to share what he has done for us.
And that sharing…that testimony…it should be ‘full of grace’…showing the loving spirit that Christ is transforming our hearts into….our words completely controlled by the spirit of love that he washed us with. He tells us to ‘season our words with salt’...like we season our food to make it tasteful …savory …rich.
I have to add one other verse from this chapter…it pierced my heart when I read it. Paul says in verse 17, “ Tell Archippus: "See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord." It was as if Paul were talking straight to me…to encourage me to finish this task God gave me of writing through the bible. Satan immediately brought to my memory the many things I have started in my life and never finished. And anyone who visits my home would see the quilt frame with my grandma’s sweet …time worn quilt…in the process of repair. Or they would see the large basket of crochet projects…two baby blankets…and two scarves. Or the craft room with two sweaters that need mending….and the pants that need hemming…I think you get the picture. Paul just gave me the answer…so I think I can do this…with prayer….by devoting these things to God in prayer…I WILL FINISH…everything he gives me to do. He will give me the power and the strength and the wisdom to complete every task he gives me to do.
Father…I thank you this morning for the precious gift of prayer…the answer to all that I need…my lifeline…my direct line to you. Thank you for the reminder that when I struggle in this life…when I am overcome by the busy schedule…when the task you have given me to do seems like a mountain to tall to climb…that my prayers can show me the path to take. I thank you for helping me to tell Satan to flee from my thoughts this morning as I wrote…that you are in control now…and you are helping me to finish this task. Father…deepen my prayers to you…fill my heart with how to stay in an attitude of prayer throughout my day…to let the stress of life pull me closer to you…because I turn the craziness over to you to control. Help me Lord to think of only you…every moment of the day…and look harder for the doors you are opening for me to share my testimony with others. Fill my mouth then with your words….graceful words…seasoned just right for the person you have allowed to cross my path. Amen.
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