“Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.”-Colossians 4:2
What comes to your mind when you think of the word devoted? How would you define that word? Collinsdictionary.com defines the word devote this way: “To set apart for a special use or service; dedicate.” Therefore, being devoted to something means to dedicate yourself to whatever it may be. It is to "set yourself apart for" something special. With that said, let’s consider: what are we devoted to? Or an even more important question: what does God want us to devote ourselves to?
In Colossians 4:2, we are reminded, even exorted as followers of Christ, to devote ourselves to something very special. We are instructed to give ourselves to, to be commited to…what? Let’s re-read Colossians 4:2 which says, “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” God spoke through Paul to remind the early Christians, and every Christian to come, to be absolutely dedicated to prayer. We are to commit ourselves to prayer, listening and talking to God. God wants us to pray, being watchful and steadfast in it, praying for others and looking for how God is working. We are to express ongoing gratitude to God in prayer, ever remembering how good God is and how kind He is to us. Another way God put it through Paul is, “Never stop praying” (1 Thessalonians 5:16).
Prayer is never a waste of time. It is not and never should be the “last resort” for us. Prayer is to be our "go to" strategy! God wants us to talk with Him, in Jesus’ name, about everything (John 14:13). That’s why God inspired Paul to write about being devoted to prayer with alertness and thankfulness. So, as one of my heroes, Steven Curtis Chapman sang about in his joyful song back in 1996, Let Us Pray (click here to listen):
“Let us pray, let us pray, everywhere in every way.
Every moment of the day, it is the right time.
For the Father above, He is listening with love,
And He wants to answer us, so let us pray.”
Godspeed, friends!
-Scott