Colossians 4:2-3




'Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains.'
There is no way in which one can exaggerate the importance of prayer. It has been (wisely) said that we are as strong as our prayer lives and no stronger. That applies just as much to us as individuals as it does to our churches. It is through prayer that
we deliberately open up our lives to God and so without it we will soon be struggling. It is for that reason that Paul encourages his readers to devote themselves to prayer. They needed to be continually committed to it and to be on their toes. Paul was more than aware of the spiritual battle they were fighting every day, and they needed prayer to keep them spiritually alert. We must never forget that Paul was in prison when he wrote these words. No one knew better than he did how important it was to stay close to God in prayer.
I love the fact that prayer and action belonged together in Paul’s thinking. So often, people talk about prayer as if it is a form of opting out, or a last resort. For Paul, prayer was so woven into the fabric of his life that he saw it as the very way in which his actions were shaped and directed. It is not surprising that he reminds his readers both that he is in prison, and that he is seeking more opportunities for sharing the good news of Jesus. There was no holding Paul back! Wherever he was, he was busily engaged in doing God’s work.


As you live for God today, I encourage you to pray specifically for God to bless all your activities and relationships, and to strengthen and inspire all the people you meet. Whatever you do, remember that God wants to be at the heart of your activity.




Question: What specific blessing are you asking God for today?
Prayer: Loving Father, thank you for the privilege of prayer. Help me to open more of my life to your blessing. Amen

Released on 6 Dec 2022