prayer

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EVERYDAY CHRISTIANITY 2

 (Colossians 4:2-6) Devote yourself 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.

Last week we looked at this passage from Colossians, and I focused on verse two which is about devoting ourselves to prayer.  Let’s continue by looking at verses three and four.

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.

The mystery of Christ is simply the Gospel message of what Jesus did for our salvation.  It is the most beautiful message ever heard by mankind.  Sharing this message requires presenting it with the recipient in mind and always being attuned to the Holy Spirits guidance.  Paul is asking the Colossians to pray that God would open opportunities for sharing, and that he would do it clearly.

We are still called to this prayer today.  We pray for those we know who are sharing the Gospel message – our pastors, missionaries, and evangelist.  As the Colossians did for Paul, we pray that the Lord will open doors for them to share, and that they will be able to share the Gospel clearly.  We also pray for their safety.

Next week let’s look at verses 5 and 6.  We’ll talk about Paul’s instructions for us, as we share the mystery of Christ.

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EVERYDAY CHRISTIANITY

 (Colossians 4:2-6) Devote yourself 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.

When I was a newly committed Christian, I was often perplexed about how I should act.  As time went on, how to act as a Christian seemed to fall into place.  Here in this scripture the Apostle Paul gives clear instructions of how a Christian should conduct life each day.  Don’t worry, most of us fall painfully short of these challenges.  However, these challenges do guide us to a more Kingdom of God consciousness and away from the cares of the world.

It’s easy to get lost in the cares of our everyday life, but let’s begin to break down what Paul is calling us to do. “Devote yourself to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”  My take on this is to begin each day by having a special time with the Lord.  Prayer after all is talking to the Lord.  Then, throughout the day, pray for those we know are in need of prayer and pray as we encounter situation that call for prayer.

As an example, This morning I was sitting on the patio at Starbucks, enjoying my coffee, when I noticed a young couple having what appeared to be a very stressful conversation.  I was drawn to pray for them.  When I left, I stopped by their table.  I said to them, “Pardon the interruption, but I noticed that there was some distress here at your table, so I prayed for you.”   Not knowing what response to expect, I was pleasantly surprised at their reaction.  They both lit up with big smiles and thanked me.  I smiled back and said, “God bless you.”  I continued on to my truck and headed home.

On the way home I was reliving the scene, and it occurred to me, this encounter is what Paul meant by being watchful.  I thanked God for the opportunity and prayed some more for that couple.

I think that devoting yourself to prayer is something we all do as Christians.  Are we perfect at it?  Well, since we are not perfect, let’s stay ever increasingly alert for opportunities.  In our everyday life as Christians, God will guide us into situations that need our prayers.  We need to be watchful and thankful.

I have posted the complete section of this scripture with the idea to continue focusing on what the Apostle Paul reveals to us in this passage. I’m looking forward to digging into his words for the treasures they hold.

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KNOWING THE DEPTH OFGOD’S LOVE FOR US

(John 17:20-26) “My prayer is not for them alone (his disciples).  I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.  May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity.  Then the world will know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.  Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.  Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.  I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Shortly before he went to his death on the cross, Jesus prayed this beautiful prayer for those of us who believe in him.  In this prayer to his Father, he expresses his love for us, and his desire that we would be with him.  This is why he was willing to surrender his life on the cross – because he loves us and wants to be with us. 

In his prayer, Jesus talks about the unity of believers.  He wants us to be brought to complete unity.  I’m not clear what that might mean or when that might happen.  Perhaps, we believers should also pray about our unity.  Why is the unity of believers important?  Jesus says, “Then the world will know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Jesus concludes by praying that the love the Father has for him might be in us. I believe that this shows the depth of Jesus’ love for us and clarifies our true worth to our God. We are about to celebrate all that Jesus did for us.  Let us take time to reflect on how deeply he and the Father love us.

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ALONE WITH GOD

(Mark 1:32-37) That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.  The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases.  He also drove out many demons, but he would not let them speak because they knew who he was.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.  Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

Jesus ministered all day; and then in the evening, the whole town showed up requiring more from him.  He must have been exhausted.  How did he refresh?  Well, he probably laid down and went to sleep, but before daybreak he got up and went to find a place of solitude to meet with his Father in prayer.

I always knew about my need for sleep.  In my youth, I thought I could skate by with little sleep, but it frequently caught up with me.  The need for prayer and time with the Lord wasn’t so obvious. It took a while before I recognized this need.  Over the years, the awareness of my need for prayer and time with the Lord has greatly increased.  

It is often hard to find time to refresh, yet even Jesus needed sleep and a time of prayer.  I know from experience that skipping sleep and prayer might seem to be the way to get things done.  I found out that without sleep and time with the Lord my effectiveness was seriously hindered.   When I was teaching, I found myself shortchanging my student because I needed sleep.  I also found myself grouchy and unloving.  I needed sleep; but most of all, I needed time alone with the Father to refresh my soul.

You may be living a hectic life.  Jesus did.  How do we refresh to be able to handle the next day?  Jesus showed us the way.  Sleep helps to refresh the physical body; the soul is refreshed when we spend time alone with our God.