Devoted to Prayer
As the Apostle Paul writes from imprisonment, he exhorts the Christians in Colossae to have a fixed and heavenly mindset. He commands them to put to death what is earthly within them. They are not to return to the sinful passions that once held them in bondage, but to walk in truth, holiness, love, and the peace of Christ. They had been rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. Therefore Paul writes, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
These believers lived in the midst of a pagan world filled with idolatry, sexual immorality, religious deception, and false teaching. Paul had already warned them against persuasive arguments, human philosophy, self-made religion, and teachings that appeared spiritual but could never conquer the flesh. They needed spiritual discernment and steadfastness. Therefore, as Paul begins to close his letter, he commands them, “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.”
Prayer was not to be occasional or reserved only for emergencies. It was to be the settled practice of the Christian life. They were also to remain “alert” in prayer, spiritually awake to temptation, the needs of the church, and the opportunities God placed before them. Yet all of this was to be accompanied by thanksgiving. The Christian does not pray as one abandoned by God, but as one who has already been redeemed, forgiven, reconciled, and united to Christ.
Paul immediately reveals one of the great purposes of such prayer when he says, “Praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ.” Paul is imprisoned, yet one of his greatest concerns is not merely that the prison door would open, but that God would open a door for the Word. He wants Christ proclaimed, the gospel advanced, and sinners to come to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and what He accomplished upon the cross.
Prayer is not powerful because there is some mysterious power residing in the words of men. Prayer is powerful because the living God hears the prayers of His people and has ordained prayer as one of the means through which He accomplishes His purposes. Daniel prayed faithfully, and God shut the mouths of the lions. Joshua cried out to God in the midst of battle, and the sun stood still over Gibeon.
James, the Lord’s brother, reminds the struggling Christians in his epistle of Elijah, who lived during one of the darkest periods of Israel’s rebellion. Ahab and Jezebel had promoted the worship of Baal throughout the land, yet Elijah “prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.” Elijah possessed no power over creation in himself. The power belonged to God. Elijah prayed, and the sovereign God of heaven answered according to His perfect will.
God has ordained prayer as a means through which He accomplishes His purposes. We pray for the church, for our families, for holiness and wisdom, and for those who are lost. We pray that God would open doors for the gospel, prepare hearts to receive the truth, and give His servants courage and clarity to faithfully proclaim Christ.
Yet prayer itself does not save the sinner; Christ does. Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. When the Holy Spirit awakens a sinner to his guilt and brings him to repentance and faith, he discovers that Christ is mighty to save. The power of darkness is broken, the dominion of sin is broken, the guilt of sin is removed, the stain of sin is washed away, and death loses its final claim. Therefore Paul declares, “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? … but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Come then, saints of God, and gird yourselves for holy warfare, for our victory is found in Christ. Give yourselves to prayer and cry aloud, “O Father, You are enthroned in heaven, and yet You hear my prayers. O Jesus, Your hands are stretched forth to receive my petitions, and the wounds You bore testify to the sacrifice by which You made propitiation for my sins. O Holy Spirit, You are willing to help me in my weakness, to reveal my need, to supply what I lack, to intercede for me, and to strengthen me so that I do not grow faint in supplication. O gracious God, who rules over all creation, You have commanded me to ask for those things that concern Your kingdom and my soul. Teach me to live and pray as one who has died with Christ, risen with Christ, and whose life is hidden with Christ in God.”