Continue in Prayer

Saturday, October 23, 2021

“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;…” (Colossians 4:2 KJV).

Be prayerful; be thankful!

Read today’s Scripture in context: “[2] Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; [3] 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: [4] That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.” Romans 12:12 repeats the same admonition: “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;….”

Prayer is our speaking to God in light of His words to us. We listen to the Holy Bible rightly divided—what God said He will do for us and with us—and then we repeat God’s words back to Him. The Lord knows what He said in the Scriptures, so prayer is for our benefit rather than His. Prayer reminds us of what He has already told us, that we may walk in accordance and do His will—or, rather, that His will may be accomplished in and through us as we conduct ourselves regarding the Divine revelation given us.

Alas, prayer is usually a burden, a disappointment, a struggle. Church members incessantly complain about “unanswered prayer.” They asked God for something, but it did not happen. Doubts creep in; nagging questions arise. Have I some “unconfessed sin?” Does God care? Is He even there? How inconsiderate of us, that we would presume to dictate to the Lord what He should and should not do! Dear friends, we must conform to what He is doing; He is not obligated to abide by our wishes.

Prayer is the most dangerous part of the Christian life, for it is utterly destructive if not coupled with personal dispensational Bible study. If you doubt this at all, dear friends, just look at all the displeasure with prayer in Christendom. The Lord’s good name, His precious words, are smeared and ridiculed, rendered distasteful because we have failed to listen His current will, this the Dispensation of the Grace of God committed to the Apostle Paul’s trust. May we be prayerful and thankful concerning the Holy Scriptures, particularly Romans through Philemon. Let us continue therein… vigilant and steadfast.