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. Colossians 4:2-6
Today we are looking at the opening phrase “Devote yourselves to prayer….” Or “pray without ceasing…”
What does this phrase mean? At the very least, no matter how one defines “devote” or “without ceasing” we know that it means to prioritize prayer. To keep praying. To never stop praying. To make prayer important in our lives.
But this short text talks about more than prayer. It is Paul, begging his friends to pray for him….in order that he will be able to preach the gospel boldly. Paul wants his very life, even while in prison in Rome…to be a proclamation of the gospel.
Lastly, Paul gives advice to his readers about their attitudes and the power of their words. “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders. And let your words – your conversation – be full of grace and seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
The over-arching theme of these verses is: God’s mission accomplished through us.
- Through our prayers (v. 2-4)
- Through our lives (v. 5)
- Through our words (v. 6)
Let’s look at each of these:
Through our prayers –
- prayer is the basis for everything in our lives. (remember the acronym “BLESS” from our sermon series on sharing our faith with others? The “B” stood for “Begin with prayer”!) Everything “begins with prayer”
- Prayer is our own lifeline to survival – we are completely dependent on God.
- Prayer causes us to be more watchful / alert, more thankful…
- I challenge you today, to devote yourselves to prayer….to begin everything with prayer!
Through our lives –
- Most people in Paul’s position (in prison!) would tend to think that little could be done. He asks everyone to pray for him – not to get out of prison – but that God would “open a door”, give him an opportunity – to preach the gospel boldly! (right where he was)
- Amazingly, while in prison (house arrest?), Paul finds the time and strength to write these letters: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. These epistles are still witnessing and blessing us today! Now that’s “making the most of every opportunity!”
- Paul was wise in the way he acted toward his captors ….and others, making the most of every opportunity he had. He suggests the same wisdom for us. Don’t waste time! Make the most of every relationship!
- May I be honest with you this morning? I’ve felt somewhat convicted by this passage. I realize that my prayer life is often weak. My faith is often cold. As your pastor, am I taking advantage of every opportunity? I challenge you today, to pray regularly, for me, your pastor, that I may be bold…and share the gospel clearly in the way I should!
Through our words –
- Has there ever been a time in our society when our words were more hurtful, more polarizing, more devastating than they are now? Paul’s words: “Let your conversation always be full of grace, seasoned with salt…..so that you’ll always know how to answer each person.”
- In Proverbs 12:18 it says: “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.“
- How should we as Christians act toward outsiders…..not just those in a different political camp, but those from a different religious or cultural background? How can our conversations be full of grace, full of love, seasoned with salt….tasty and inviting?
- Why are Christians in our society and media so often seen as angry and judgmental?
- I challenge you today to engage in conversations with your neighbors that are filled with grace, not judgment – and seasoned with salt.
God desires to use each of us in reaching out to the lost. Each of us are to be involved in mission. According to Paul’s words today, that is…
- Through our prayers
- Through our lives
- Through our gracious words
And how do we begin? Hey….It ALL begins with PRAYER!!
(the above is a summary of the message shared during our worship on April 7, 2024.)
Japanese Congregational Church 