A note from the desk of our Pastor:

“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;”

Colossians 4:2

Good Morning Dearly Beloved,

In Colossians 4:2, the Apostle Paul pivots sharply from the private, domestic duties of the household to the public, corporate engine that must fuel the entire church: a life of relentless, wide-awake prayer. Our study verse this week reminds us that we are all interconnected, making the spiritual anchor of our lives of great importance to all aspects of our conduct. The study verse establishes a foundation for our prayer lives, which is important because not only do personal relationships need a spiritual anchor, but the verse will also serve as the foundation for other instructions for the community of believers.

Colossians 4:2 is composed of three separate phrases or parts. The first phrase making up this verse is an instruction to “continue in prayer.” The heart of the Apostle’s message is that prayer should not be an emergency flare sent up when a crisis arises. The Greek words translated here as “continue in prayer” hold the meaning of earnest adherence or gritty, stubborn determination. In Eastern philosophy, which the original teachings of Christ belong to, prayer or meditation wasn’t a 20-minute timeout but rather was a continuous, active tending of the mind’s soil. Disciples ultimately need to avoid the trap of treating prayer as a transactional relationship with God and instead make it the very atmosphere breathed in and out daily. 

The second phrase in the verse is “and watch in the same” which speaks to spiritual maturity and remaining alert in discipleship. A famous psychological concept, called “Monkey Mind,” compares the human mind to a cage full of monkeys that continually leap from branch to branch, screeching and utterly distracted. Many of us, while we have the greatest of intentions in our prayer life, feel the full effect of the Monkey Mind. We try to pray, but our minds are immediately pulled off course by worries about upcoming tasks, forgotten phone calls, and pressing deadlines. And other times, our prayer life is interfered with by the very fatigue we experience, much like the Apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane. The instruction from the Apostle in this verse is to focus on our spiritual maturity so that we might remain awake, focused, and engaged in prayer in all aspects of life. 

The final thought is that the prayer life we cultivate should be one of thanksgiving instead of requesting things of God. Gratitude is the ballast that keeps an intense, vigilant prayer life active, but also remembering that God is not motivated by our prayers. God is motivated by his grace, mercy, and love for us and knows what we need before we ask. Therefore, it is of vital importance that the child of God avoid a “vending machine” theology, believing that prayers will dispense requested blessings. Thanksgiving or gratitude allows the disciple to see God, to see what God does for us, and to be reconciled to his will for our lives. It further allows the disciple to feel God’s presence in their lives and, as a result, be motivated to live a life that is pleasing to God. 

The application of these three principles: making prayer a way of life, remaining alert in our prayer life, and exercising thankfulness through our prayers, allows individual disciples and the community of believers to move forward in the power of God. The Apostle has established a foundation for prayer in this verse and will expand on it in verses three through six of this chapter.

Our Prayers are with you daily,

Brother Jeremiah