Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

Agenda. When I hear the word, “agenda,” I nearly always think of politics first. However, after reading Colossians 4:2-6, God has given this word a new connotation for me. Whether we are aware of it or not, we all wake up in the mornings with our own agenda for the day. Yours may consist of getting the kids to school, making it to work on time, and just simply getting through the day. Maybe you’re like me, and getting out of bed and getting to work is a task in need of its very own itinerary. Whatever the case may be, I believe that Paul is calling the church of Colosse and Christians as a whole to revise their idea of what their outlook on the day ahead of them should be. With this idea as our lens, let’s take another look at these five verses.

“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;”

The mark of a healthy believer surely is their prayer life. Without prayer, our relationship with the Father is strictly one-sided and is therefore not much of a relationship at all. Not only should we start our day with prayer, but Paul tells us we should “continue earnestly” in prayer as our day goes on. I am reminded of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17; “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” We should enter our day with intentionality, thanking God for the breath in our lungs, the family and friends surrounding us, and the countless other blessings we fail to recognize and take for granted every day.

“Meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains.”

I often get so caught up in trying to be the best version of myself at home and at work that I forget what really matters to God. While striving to be a good employee certainly has its place, God won’t tell us “Well done my good and faithful servant,” at the end of our life in accordance with our productivity and punctuality. What God really cares about is what we have done with the gift of salvation in our lives. We should go through our day both praying for and expecting opportunities to share our faith and the “mystery of Christ.”

“That I may make it manifest as I ought to Speak. Walk in wisdom towards those who are outside, redeeming the time.”

How hard it can be to “walk in wisdom” towards those who are outside of the faith. The only way we can walk in true Godly wisdom is through fervent prayer. The phrase “redeeming the time” means to take advantage of an opportunity before it becomes no longer available. To help myself understand this verse, I like to think of John 15:5: “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me, you can do nothing.” As a tree bears fruit in seasons, ministry opportunities often come in seasons as well. Instead of sitting idly by, we should take advantage of these opportunities by being intentional in recognizing them and acting on them.

“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how to answer each one.”

In ancient times, salt was as valuable as currency. Its utility in preserving and seasoning food made it a necessity. When we start each day, we should think about the things we say and how we react to people. As humans, we tend towards gossip, cursing, idle talk, and many other actions that may come off as a stumbling block for nonbelievers. Just as salt holds value in its usability, our words and actions should reflect similarly. Preemptively hold yourself accountable for what you say and do as the day goes on.

Most importantly, in our day-to-day lives, we should always remember to keep the Father at the center of our decisions. Remember to refer to scripture and lean on prayer for your strength and focus.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• In what way has this section of scripture reaffirmed you in your walk with Christ?
  
• In what way has this section of scripture revealed to you an area in your faith in need of
  refining?
• Take a moment to reflect on God’s grace. Give thanks for it and praise that He is perfect and just in providing that grace freely.
  
• Prayer: Father, we thank You for the air in our lungs, the food in our bellies, the shoes on our feet, and everything else that you continue to provide for us through your immense mercy and kindness. We praise you because you are worthy beyond words. Father, provide us with opportunities to reflect your love and kindness to those who are outside of the faith. Give us wisdom in speaking to both believers and nonbelievers in that our words would hold value and significance. Amen.

Family Devo: Colossians 4:2-6

By: Dahlia Landers

When partnering with your family to know, love, and follow Jesus, we strive to create and share content filtered by the Head-Heart-Hands model. 

Head: the knowledge of God and His Word | Heart: the personal connection from scripture | Hands: a missional mindset 

Head

In today’s reading, Paul and Timothy are writing to the church at Colossae. They continue to write to these believers from prison chains. They are giving more instructions to their followers. The message in these instructions is to remember the importance of prayer. They are instructed to devote themselves to prayer. They are instructed to pray for Paul and Timothy to have opportunities to reach others they meet with the message of Christ and to do so clearly for others to understand this message. The passage calls on them to be smart in the way they approach those who have not heard the message. They are instructed to make the most of every opportunity they have to share. These conversations should be full of grace and seasoned with the Word of God so they are prepared to answer all people they meet. 

Heart 

Can you imagine being in prison for telling others about Jesus? We have the freedom to share without worrying about being arrested. Paul and Timothy are still telling others from the chains they were wearing! They were very aware of what the early churches needed to become stronger. They are continuing to teach and challenge them without being concerned for their own situation. Would you be confident to share the Word of God if it meant you might be sent to jail? Do you believe that God would bless you as you shared? Do you understand the power of prayer? 

Hands 

God used Paul and Timothy to encourage the Colossians to continue the church’s mission and to instill the importance of prayer. Pray for those that you know and don’t know. Ask God to give you opportunities to go out into the community and show His love. 

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for the story of Paul and Timothy and their strong testimonies. Thank You for giving us the gift of prayer so we can talk to You. Help us to never take prayer for granted, but as a way to help others to know, love, and follow You. In Jesus’ name, amen.