Tuesday, May 28th, 2024

Scripture: Col. 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;

Teaching: As Paul moves towards the conclusion of his letter, he transitions from instructing Christians on how they should live in Christ to how they should live in the world, while in Christ. Unsurprisingly but also prescriptively, Paul’s first instruction is to “devote yourselves to prayer.” The prayer life of a Christian is the most powerful tool and weapon for life in this world. While study of the Word and service in Christ’s name bring wonderful blessings, true heart change occurs in prayer. It is in prayer that head-knowledge and hand-workings become heart-changers. Prayer aligns our heart with God’s, and strengthens our Spirit over the desires of the flesh.

Takeaway: Instructing the Colossians to keep alert in prayer is reminiscent of Jesus’ instruction to Peter, James, and John in Gethsemane, the night before his crucifixion. Matthew 26:36-46 recounts Jesus praying and telling the three to keep watch, to be alert, and pray; unfortunately, they continue to fall asleep. Commentaries differ on what Jesus was beckoning them to keep watch of, but it seems that Matt. 26:41 is the key verse: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Jesus wanted the three to watch him pray in the moments before he was arrested, accepting the will of the Father even though his flesh wanted “this cup [this coming suffering] to be taken away.” (Matt. 26:42) Jesus wanted the three to witness both the strongest evidence of his humanity (his aversion to suffering and death) and the strength of his spirit to overpower the desires of the flesh to obey the Father’s will. When we pray, we call out to God for His strength, His help, His provision, and His love. Devotion to prayer keeps us alert because it disavows our own strength or the world’s provision as the thing we place our trust in. Our alertness in prayer prevents us from being lulled into a false sense of security (trusting in our own strength) and the sinister effects of sin.