Calling Out to God #13

In his letter to the Colossians, some of the exhortations Paul gives are much more condensed than some of his other letters, like his call to prayer in chapter 4:

2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

The first word here in the Greek is "prayer", and the exhortation is made from a couple of multi-syllable words: "Prayer! Remain constant/be continually faithful in it, having a watchfulness/an alertness while you pray, mixed with thanksgiving." Pray with your eyes and your heart wide open, making sure you see all there is to be thankful for, as well as observant enough to talk with God throughout the day about whatever comes your way. Prayer is not to be a rare occasion, but a steady flow. It is walking and talking with the Lord without taking your eyes off the road, without ignoring everyone who comes your way, making sure you do not miss all the answers/all the blessings He is sending your way. And Paul says: "Don't forget about us as you pray. Pray for opportunities to come our way to share the Gospel, and especially pray that I cand and do make the Gospel plain and simple." We might say: "Pray that I don't preach like a politician"- saying a lot of nice-sounding words that are not heart-felt and make no difference. The Good News deserves to be heard clearly. May we pray the day away today.