Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.
Today we are going to camp out in Colossians 4:2. The topic of this verse is prayer and the importance of our intentionality while in prayer. Paul urges the church to, “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” If we look at the Greek translation of the word “continue,” we see that it means to be strong in prayer. It suggests a prayer life that is persistent and fervent.
It can be easy for us to begin to view prayer as just another box to check off or a laundry list of complaints. We can forget what prayer is for and how it connects us to the God of the universe. Prayer is a way to meet with the Lord, be changed by His presence, and offer our deepest thoughts, desires, and requests to Him. Coming to God in prayer is the most powerful thing we can do as followers of Jesus Christ. When we go to God in prayer before seeking the advice of others, relying on our own understanding, or even numbing ourselves, we actively choose to focus on the things of heaven. God works in us and in circumstances when we earnestly pray to Him.
Verse two goes on to say to be “watchful in prayer with thanksgiving.” Other translations say that we should be wakeful in prayer. We should be awake and present when praying to the Lord. When we become busy with distractions, our prayers become rehearsed and robotic. You could say that we get sleepy when praying. In all of this, this verse also addresses the importance of gratitude and awareness of the goodness of God in every circumstance. Think about it this way, when we pray to the Lord and experience His presence, we are visiting home. It connects us to Heaven. We are connected to the source of goodness, love, peace, glory, holiness - I could go on and on! Because of this, we have every reason to pray with a thankful heart.
Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.
Reflection:
- In the past, how have you viewed prayer?
- As you go throughout this week, try looking at prayer as if you are just having a conversation with the Lord. Talk to Him in the car, while you’re in the grocery store, and even in the moments when it feels like you shouldn’t bring what you are thinking or feeling to Him.
- Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being a God who wants to hear from Your children. I pray that You would reveal yourself to me through prayer. I pray that You would begin to open my eyes and change my perspective on prayer and meeting with You. Teach me what fervent prayer looks like, Lord. In Jesus’ mighty name, amen.
Family Devo: Colossians 4
By: Cindy Ogilive
When partnering with your family to know, love, and follow Jesus, we strive to create and share content filtered by the Head-Heart-Hands model.
Head: the knowledge of God and His Word | Heart: the personal connection from scripture | Hands: a missional mindset
Head
Yesterday we talked about a worldly view versus a Godly view. Being a Christian, God calls us to pray. Colossians 4 explains that you may get tired of praying about the same thing over and over. You may feel down like your prayer isn’t being answered, but God hears you. God brings people into your life who are interested in knowing more about Jesus. In verses 4-6, Paul writes to spread the Gospel. He says, “Make the most of every opportunity,“ meaning if you see a chance to share the love of Jesus with someone, go do it! He says to even make what you say “seasoned with salt,” meaning to make it true and loving. Leave them wanting to learn more!
Heart
Look for opportunities this week to show Christ’s love to one another, but also look for opportunities when loving someone opens the door to sharing the Gospel with them.
Hands
Prayer: Lord, I am so thankful and grateful for You. I know that You hear my prayers no matter how many times I pray the same prayer. Lord, I will not doubt your abilities to answer those prayers. I pray for the opportunity to share Your Word and love others this week. I pray that You become an even stronger presence in the lives of my friends and family. Amen.