October 12–Pray

Happy Friday and here we are finishing off another week and I’m ending it up sick. My normal fall allergies turned nasty and yesterday, I developed some secondary viral crud. So I’m a bit miserable and when I’m miserable, it’s really hard to think about much but how miserable I feel and how everyone should feel really sorry for me. (This is my pity party where no snacks arrive.) Then, I remember Paul and I re-read Colossians. 


Paul wrote this letter to the Christians at Colosse about AD 60 (about 30 years after the resurrection of Christ) during his first time in the Roman prison. In this passage in chapter four he gives us basic instructions on how we should live our lives each day. 


“Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭4:2-6‬ ‭NLT‬‬


Obviously, Paul wrote this letter from prison while he was in in chains. I can’t quite get my mind wrapped around what that had to look and feel like. Yet even in those horrible, smelly, filthy, miserable and how-many-ways-can-you-say-awful conditions, his main thoughts were to ask for prayer that he might share the gospel in the most understanding manner. (Here I am in flannel jammies in a warm, clean bed with hot tea and no chains). Paul set the bar really high. 


I’m not sure how he physically wrote, nor how he was able to think coherently, yet his thoughts were always to spread the Gospel. He believed so strongly in his Savior that his circumstances had very little to do with his life’s work and purpose—spread the Gospel. It was always the first and last thing on his mind because he’d had an encounter with the one true God and people needed to know the Truth. What about our encounter? 


Dear Jesus we love you and we want to be like you. Give us the desires of your heart dear Lord and help us to pray with alert minds and grateful hearts even when we don’t feel like it. Give us the desire, consistency and courage like Paul to pray for many opportunities to present the Gospel to unbelievers. We ask for the discernment to live wisely among those who are not believers, and help us to be devoted to making the most of every opportunity. Let our conversations be gracious and attractive and we will have the right response for everyone. We praise you Lord for your great love and mercy. Your great grace constantly overwhelms me. You are our Redeemer and King and it is our desire to live for you. Amen and amen. 


Love you dear one,

Pam


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