The Gospel and Prayer

Communicating with God through prayer has many benefits. This daily devotional looks at how devotion to prayer helps us solve the mystery of the gospel while watching for God’s Will.

Nuggets

  • We need to continue in an attitude of prayer while we are on guard.
  • God does not want us to pray only for ourselves.

Devotions in the Joy in the Gospel series

Even though Paul continues to finish out the chapter, this is our last lesson in Colossians. As usual, Paul starts his final directions to the church to which he is writing.

Let's Put It into Context

Here is a running list of what we’ve discussed previously.

Directions on Prayer

“Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving” (Col. 4: 2 CSB)

We need to continue in an attitude of prayer while we are on guard.

Prayer is a two-way communication with God in which we pour out our soul to Him. We know, as disciples, it is expected of us.

See what Paul said?

“Devote yourselves to prayer …” (Col. 4: 2 CSB). Spurgeon interpreted that as continue. Our prayers should not be contingent on the situations in which we find ourselves.

Resource

We hook this to I Thessalonians 5:17: “pray constantly” (CSB). We know what this really means is to be in an attitude of prayer at all times.

Sometimes, we think we need only pray once, and God is going to magically fulfill our request. Doesn’t always happen that way.

Sometimes, we have to pray for years. Sometimes, it doesn’t happen in our lifetime.

Scriptures confirm we will get answers to prayers. “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith” (Mt. 21: 22 ESV).

Make sure you read that whole verse. Don’t stop at the we-get-what-we-ask for part.

We have to read all the way to the faith part. Faith is a gift from God that enhances the conviction that the doctrines revealed in God’s Word are true, even if we do not understand all aspects of them, a belief which impacts our lives and distinguishes us from others.

It isn’t about us getting what we want. Prayer is about worshiping God.

It is also about growing our dependence on Him. It’s about becoming like Him.

If we don’t have faith in God — we don’t believe in Him period, we don’t believe He can do this for us — we won’t receive the way we ask.

We know prayer works. We have confirmation in our own lives.

Paul also said that we need to “… stay alert in it with thanksgiving” (Col. 4: 2 CSB).

The stay alert is also translated as being watchful. We’ve talked about that several times, too. Watchfulness is a continual conscious examination of ourselves and all events so that we may follow God in all things.

Glossary

To read a related devotion, click on the appropriate button below.

It is a military term. The intent is for us to guard our hearts to stay close to God.

Instead, we get distracted when we pray. There was a meme that came across my timeline in the last couple of weeks talking about our prayers having ADHD.

That was what Paul was talking about when he said stay alert. We have to recognize what our distractors are and work to eliminate them.

Spurgeon said it wasn’t just wandering thoughts that sabotage our prayers. It is also unbelief and dullness.

Hmmm. What would Spurgeon mean by dullness? I think he means we aren’t as knowledgeable about God as we should be.

Yes, that ties in with the other elements of seeking God.

Searching for and Seeking God

Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).

Our prayers have to have an component of thankfulness. If we don’t express out gratefulness to God, it smacks more of us praying to get our wants and wishes filled rather than worshipping Him.

Swinnock took that a step farther. He said that we need to “be diligent to find out the fault, amend it, and then fall to work again with confidence that thou wilt not labour in vain.”

Resource

Our priority has to be cutting the sin out of our lives. That is why we have to pray to God. Only He can heal us from our sins.

Directions on being Ministers of the Gospel

“At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains, so that I may make it known as I should” (Col. 4: 3-4 CSB)

God does not want us to pray only for ourselves.

Paul was not bashful in asking for prayers for himself and his fellow ministers. He generally ended his letters with a request for prayers.

Being a minister, Paul knew how Satan was going to attack him, his fellow ministers, his audience, and the work itself. He knew that he needed God’s power to withstand those attacks.

Oh, yeah. Paul could pray for himself — and I am sure he did.

God wants us to pray for others as well as ourselves. We are to build each other up through encouragement. What better way to do that than through prayers to the One Who will answer that prayer.

We can’t think that we are strong enough of a disciple that we don’t need the prayers of others. When we think that, Satan will say, “Hold my drink,” just to prove us wrong.

Byfield made a great point. He wrote, “That in hearing prayer God is no acceptor of persons. He is as willing to hear the Colossians’ prayers for Paul as Paul’s for the Colossians.”

Resource

Ministers alone don’t have the corner on prayers. Ministers need our prayers.

Paul knew the prayers would open doors to make people’s hearts more receptive. He knew it was God working, not him — or us.

This is like the third or fourth time in this blog that we’ve talked about Paul discussing “… the mystery of Christ …” (Col. 4: 3 CSB).

The mystery of Christ is not only the doctrine of salvation, but it is also that it is available to anyone who believes and repents.

To read a related devotion, click the button below.

Byfield noted that we should pray for the doctrine of salvation and its availability to us be exhibited. Why did Byfield say this needs to be shown? People need to know

  • there is a Savior.
  • Jesus is the only Savior.
  • that Jesus was all man and all divine.
  • that we need Jesus as our Savior, regardless of whether we are a good person or not.

The mystery is buried in the Scriptures, hidden in the ceremonial law. Then it was revealed in Jesus, but was it? It finds its way into our hearts upon conversion.

We have to remember that Paul wrote the letter to the Colossians from prison. He was literally in chains.

TheGospelAndPrayerPin

Making the Connections

Prayer is important. Spurgeon wrote, “The more we pray the riper will be our graces.”

Resource

If our morals don't come through submission to God, they are just worldly morals, not spiritual graces. But then we have to grow the spiritual graces to holiness.

We’ve been talking a lot lately on how we need to kick our worldly morals up to spiritual graces. Spurgeon, here, was saying we do that through prayer.

How Do We Apply This?

  • Be in a continual attitude of prayer.
  • Respect those in the ministry.
  • Search for and seek God.
  • Preach with power and watchfulness.

Resource

To read a related devotion, click the button below.

We need to prayerfully search the gospel to see what ministry to which God is calling us.

Father God. We want to serve You. We want to continually be in an attitude of prayer so that we are in communion with You. Help us to watch for Your direction. Amen.

What do you think?

Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.

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