Colossians 4:2

‘Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching in it
with thanksgiving’
(Colossians 4:2)

Prayer is an important part of the Christian life. In fact, anyone truly ‘in Christ’(Colossians 1:2) will find themselves in a prayerful relationship with their heavenly ‘“Father”’(Romans 8:15), as part of living ‘in the Spirit’(Ephesians 6:18) as Paul puts it in his closely related letter to the Ephesians, in the equivalent of this study verse there. This is as much part of the Christian life as breathing is to our physical lives, as we ‘walk by the Spirit’(Galatians 5:16), ‘live by the Spirit’(Galatians 5:25) and prayerfully breathe ‘without ceasing’(1 Thessalonians 5:17). It needn’t include words even, since ‘the Spirit’(Romans 8:26) can help us to commune with God in other ways. Nevertheless, words are obviously helpful in prayer, if we can find them. Too ‘“much speaking”’(Matthew 6:7ff.) though is to be avoided. Perhaps that’s partly why ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ is so succinct, taught immediately after that statement from Jesus? One such example from His own prayers is ‘“I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight”(Luke 10:21), said very literally ‘in Christ’, although ‘Jesus’(John 17:1ff.) did pray longer prayers too. Being in the presence of our Father God, even ‘all night’(Luke 6:12), is what matters, even if our words might appropriately be ‘few’(Ecclesiastes 5:2).

However, despite it being like spiritual breathing, perhaps surprisingly we need encouragement to continue ‘steadfastly in prayer’, as Paul urges here, perhaps meaning especially our more formal times set aside for prayer. The founder of the Colossian church, ‘Epaphras’(Colossians 1:7), who was with Paul as he wrote this letter, appears to have been exemplary in this. He’s mentioned as ‘always striving’(Colossians 4:12) with ‘great zeal’(Colossians 4:13) for his fellow Colossians in prayer, likely during such times.

Jesus urged His first disciples to ‘pray, and not give up’(Luke 18:1), knowing that we might be inclined to become discouraged, and that deliberate focused effort is advisable. So the early Christians ‘continued steadfastly in… prayer’(Acts 2:42) alongside some other key priorities. Interestingly, the apostles were set aside specifically to ‘continue steadfastly in prayer’(Acts 6:4), not just in their teaching ministry, the former no doubt aiding the spread and preservation of the latter, ‘according to the purpose of Him who does all things after the counsel of His will’(Ephesians 1:11) – now recorded for us in the New Testament. As we prayerfully share this, God’s purposes will continue to unfold even today.

And so to the ‘watching’, which could mean simply not ‘sleeping’(Matthew 26:40ff.), or perhaps being alert regarding various prayer needs, or even watching/listening for answers, then finding clarity through ‘wisdom’(James 1:5, cf. Luke 6:12-13) granted. However, one thing Paul likely had in mind here is revealed in his parallel letter to the Ephesians, where ‘being watchful’(Ephesians 6:18) in prayer is part of how we’re to ‘stand against the wiles of the devil’(Ephesians 6:11ff.), like Peter’s: ‘Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour’(1 Peter 5:8). This would include keeping ‘“watch”’(Acts 20:31) for our adversary ‘masquerading’(2 Corinthians 11:13ff.) through misleading or false teaching. So, a succinct arrow to deploy, from ‘The Lord’s prayer’ mentioned above, might be: ‘“‘Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from… evil’”’(Matthew 6:13), as we follow Jesus’ similar advice to ‘“Watch and pray, that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but…”’(Matthew 26:41, cf. 4:1ff.). Jesus also said: ‘“Watch… for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes… be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come”’(Matthew 24:42-44) – so let’s be found spiritually breathing when He does.

Paul adds here ‘with thanksgiving’, which can spur us on in prayer too, as we give thanks for general blessings and prayers already answered. He starts the letter by giving ‘thanks’(Colossians 1:3ff.) that the Colossians had come to ‘faith’(Colossians 1:4), probably in answer to prayers said during his Ephesian ministry, when the teaching regarding ‘Jesus’(Acts 19:10) had spread widely in that region, which included Colossae, perhaps largely through ‘fellow’(Colossians 1:7) workers like Epaphras. Any of us, as later responders, can give thanks for having been ‘delivered… out of the power of darkness, and translated… into the Kingdom…’(Colossians 1:13).

Finally, we should note the amazing further content of Paul’s prayers, like for the Colossians to ‘be filled with… wisdom… [to] walk worthily of the Lord… bearing fruit in… good work… according to the might of His glory’(Colossians 1:9-11), besides no doubt praying about ‘everything’(Philippians 4:6, cf. Ephesians 6:18).

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