Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Since we already covered Psalm 100:4 earlier this month and I had it on the schedule for today, we are changing over to Colossians 4:2 instead. In this verse we see Paul encouraging believers to devote themselves to prayer. He then goes over the three key principles that should be included in those prayers: perseverance, watchfulness, and thanksgiving.
We begin by devoting ourselves to the act of praying itself. This was labeled as perseverance in the previous paragraph. We want to maintain a steadfast prayer life, one that is consistent and dependable. We remember to pray even when we are going through the rough times like we learned a few days back in Psalm 56:10. Prayer should be a regular and central part of our lives, not a hit and miss prayer here and there. We devote ourselves to prayer, as Paul instructed the church of Colossae.
Paul goes on to tell them they need to be watchful, too. They had to condition themselves to stay spiritually alert and aware of what is going on, actively engaged in prayer, and ready to respond to God’s provision and guidance. We watch out for the things in the world that may distract us or lead us away from our walk with God.
The final instruction Paul gave them in this verse was with thanksgiving. When we enter into prayer with God, we should do so with a grateful heart full of joy and thanksgiving. We recognize that we should be thankful in all circumstances, both past and present, as well as grateful for those yet to come.
Today let’s evaluate our own prayer lives. Are they including thanksgiving in them? Are we showing a grateful heart when we thank Him for what He has done? If not, today is the day to start adding praise and thanks to your prayer routines.
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