#223 – Prayer and Prayer Requests

PRAYER AND PRAYER REQUESTS

Col. 4:2-4 "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak."

There are several things I want us to look at in these verses about prayer.

THE INTENSITY OF PRAYER

We see in Paul's exhortation to the Colossians a vital key to answered prayer. The word “Continue” means, “to adhere to one, be his adherent, to be devoted or constant to one; to be steadfastly attentive unto, to give unremitting care to a thing.” This verb is a present active imperative. The present tense represents a continuous action in the present tense. The active voice is where the subject does the acting. In this case I believe Paul is referring to the entire body of believers in Colossae. The imperative mood is a command that expresses urgency. Putting this verb in the imperative mood will have the effect of urgency on the believers there.

John Gill comments: “This is not said particularly to masters, as in the foregoing verse, but to all the members of the church in general; for the apostle having taken notice of some special duties relating to persons in different stations of life, returns to such as were common to them all; as this of prayer to God is, for such prayer is intended; for though the object is not expressed here, he is in the following verse, and the Mediator Christ is supposed, and also the Holy Spirit, whose assistance is necessary to it.”

We should pray fervently. James 5:16 says, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

We have an example of this kind of praying in Colossians 4:12, "Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God."

THE ALERTNESS IN PRAYER

This is brought out in the words, of verse 4, "...and watch in the same with thanksgiving;" The word “watch” means “to give strict attention to.” It is easy for the Christian to see the need for prayer but difficult for him to believe that prayer really changes things.

The man who prays fervently will stay at it until the answer comes. I cannot pass judgment upon those who do not practice in the Christian lives the thing taught by Paul in this verse. It is not for us to pass Judgement. Even Christ did not come to pass judgment. John 3:17, "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

Our lack of convictions concerning the outcome of prayer is measured by the lack of testimony to answered prayer. Next,

THANKSGIVING IN PRAYER

Colossians 4:2, "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;" Is thanksgiving to be offered in gratitude for past answers to prayer, or, is thanksgiving to be offered in faith that what we are praying for is already on the way.

One of the things that is absolutely necessary in our relationship to God is thanksgiving. Luke 17:12 18, "And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger." Jesus commented on the Samaritans attitude of gratitude. We take so many things for granted. Next,