COLOSSIANS – Part Thirteen

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

www.godsbreathpublications.com

 

Colossians was written by the Apostle Paul while he was under house arrest in Rome. Epaphras, the pastor of the church in Colossae, came to Paul to share how well the Christians were growing in faith, but also to ask for help to address the issue of false teaching that was threatening the church. Paul responded by writing this letter of encouragement that is packed full of basic doctrine concerning Christ and the Gospel. In the first several chapters of this book Paul covered basic doctrine as well as the blessings and privileges that Christians have in knowing Christ as Savior. Here in this passage Paul is very practical and continues exhorting followers of Christ to pray for themselves and him as well. He also encourages them to live wisely and obediently especially in how they treat and speak to others.

 

Colossians 4:2-6

“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.”

 

Paul instructs followers of Jesus Christ in these verses to be devoted to prayer as a regular, consistent and persistent habit. “Devote” implies steadfastness and endurance, with the Greek intensification the meaning is “to be courageously persistent,” “hold fast and not let go.” Often our prayers can be short snippets of words, brief interludes of contemplation or momentary focus times on godly requests. Persistent, consistent and lengthy prayer times can be beneficial and we should pursue such a prolonged practice of prayer directed to our Heavenly Father. You can only get to know a person by how much time you spend with them and we need to spend quality and quantity time in prayer with our Lord. This will allow us to grow in our relationship with Him.

 

This prayer Paul speaks of is watchful. As we develop a sensitive spiritual discernment and sensitivity to what to pray and who to pray for, we become more aware of the needs in the lives of others and our own. “Be watchful” means not just to be aware of needs and issues to pray about, but perceptive about when and how often to pray. There are issues that affect the daily lives of individuals that are personal and social and there are also larger issues that affect communities and nations to pray about. Followers of Christ are called to be informed about who and what to pray about. As we are watchful and anxious to seek ways to pray for issues and people we will not delay to pray, but will quickly pray immediately for a need that comes to mind, a person who shares a need or whatever situation arises that needs prayer.

 

We are also called to be thankful in our prayers for the blessings we have received and are about to receive. We can be thankful for salvation, spiritual growth, the fellowship with Christ that we have and Christ’s church of which we are members. Believe it or not, as we grow in our trust of who God is and that His ways and timing are best, we can even give thanks when our prayers are not answered the way we desire. This is because we know God wants the best for us and He knows when and what to bless us with. He is the perfect spiritual parent for us and our faith in His character can direct not only our prayers to Him, but also our response to answered and unanswered prayers. Paul here also requests that the Christians at Colossae pray for him and other teachers and evangelists of the gospel, that doors will be opened for the spread of the Message of Jesus. This type of prayer is one which we should also pray today for ourselves, that we are always ready, willing and able to share the gospel. It is also a prayer that we should pray for our pastor, our church and missionaries that we know.

 

We often take it for granted that prayers are necessary for every aspect of the Christian life and are crucial for the spread of the Gospel. You might call prayer the “stealth” weapon of the Christian for it can travel extreme distances with little expression of energy. It is a tool that can penetrate walls, heal tissue, and persuade hearts to turn to God and hinder and bind demons from their evil influence. Prayers can be said in one language, but this does not bind their godly effect in another nation where that language is not spoken. Prayers can be said out loud, but they can also be simply thought with the heart and mind. You can pray whenever and wherever you are. What an amazing gift and privilege it is to be able to pray. This also allows us to speak personally to the Creator of the Universe. How precious and blessed we are as followers of Christ to receive such a blessing of having the gift of prayer.

 

The Bible is full of prayers and commands of the necessity of this holy habit of praying. A few references in the New Testament are below:

 

Ephesians 6:18

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”

 

1 Thessalonians 5:17

“pray continually;

 

Romans 12:12

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

 

Paul again mentions the mystery that he preaches. Paul was preaching the mystery of Gentiles being brought into the family of God through faith in Christ. He was also preaching the mystery of God dwelling in us. He was also preaching the mystery of Jesus Christ taking on human form to live the life of a servant as God in the flesh. Such amazing mysteries are difficult to comprehend, but one day we will understand these mysteries completely. Paul wanted to make sure when he spoke and shared these mysteries that they were clear and understandable and so he asks for prayers, that he be given the proper words to accomplish this. Even though Paul was an amazing orator, he still asked for prayers for the Holy Spirit to fill Him so that he could minister in preaching the gospel. We should ask others to pray for us, that God might give us the words to say as we speak or witness about what Jesus has done for us. We need such prayers as we speak to family members, friends, co-workers, employers and even strangers about the gospel and the God we know personally. Scripture tells us the importance of always being ready to share the gospel with others so we need to pray for the courage to share accurately what God would have us to say. We do this humbly and honestly as best we can, knowing that the Holy Spirit will guide us in our words and trusting that God can use whatever we say to bring others closer to Him. His power can be expressed even when we stumble and fumble with Words because He can use the weakest of vessels to accomplish great and mighty works!

 

2 Timothy 4:2

“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction.”

 

Next Paul moves to instruction in how to live the Christian life. He has taught the Colossians how to grow in the knowledge of God and to mature in their faith. Now he commands them to use this knowledge and maturity to live wisely, especially when it comes to how they interact with non-believers. Our witness of Christ is demonstrated in how we live, act, behave and treat those who believe in Christ but also those who do not believe in Him. So to live wisely is to respect those around us, always being truthful and ready to share the gospel not just in word but especially in deeds of kindness. He is instructing all followers of Christ in how to walk, as a living translation of God’s wisdom for this is our witness to others about the God we serve and worship.

 

Romans 12:17-18

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

 

Hebrews 12:14

“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

 

Paul was very efficient at using his time. He never wasted a moment or opportunity and here he calls the Colossians, and us, to this same godly habit. We should be good stewards of our time, always remembering that whether it is at work or play, that we should be living out what we believe and the truth we know in Christ. Paul is also telling followers of Christ that the way they speak to others is a vocal translation of God’s grace. As we speak God’s grace in the words we say, we share the truth of God’s love and compassion. Salt in our speech refers to the life giving gospel which creates a spiritual thirst for a relationship with God in those who have not committed their life to Christ yet. Salty godly speech can bring healing of emotions and can minister to wounded hearts. Salt in one’s speech can bring conviction of sin which can lead to repentance and acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior. Salt in our speech can also represent the preservative nature of spiritual advice given in wisdom from God’s Word to help people grow closer to God.

 

Titus 2:7-8

“In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.”

 

When we know more of God’s Word and understand how to apply it, the godly wisdom that results can establish our purity, prevent us from making a bad decision and help us decide to turn to good thoughts and actions rather than evil. God’s Word helps us know how to pray and what to pray for. God’s Word trains us in how to live the Christian life and how to treat others. God’s Word teaches us how to speak and can be used in our conversations to comfort the afflicted, convict those who are sinning and convey the gospel to the lost. Let us always remember as followers of Christ the importance of the Holy Scriptures in our lives.

 

Hebrews 4:12-13

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

 

2 Timothy 3:16-17

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

 

2 Peter 1:20-21

“Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

 

Paul is calling us to live our lives as Christ would, because Christ lives in us. Let us therefore pray, speak and live in the manner God instructs us.

 

Galatians 2:20

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

 

Next time in our last part of this series on Colossians, we will discover some of the friends and acquaintances of Paul and their own particular history.