DEVOTION TO PRAYER

 

DEVOTION TO PRAYER

Col. 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. NLT

Prayer plagues most people in the Church. We know we need to do it, but most of us don’t do it well or enough. We make excuses about being too busy to pray. We don’t place prayer high on our list of things we need to do daily. We get the idea that public prayer in church is enough. Our churches do away with altars and concentrated public prayer meetings. We get comfortable with the idea of not praying.

We are to be devoted to prayer. Prayer should be the primary thing we do together in public and in private. It should be at the top of our list of things to do. Prayer is the lifeblood of the Christian life. It is where we have our most intimate fellowship with God. It is where we grow best in our love for God and others. The more we wait before God, the more we grow in our ability to love. Prayer is an expression of our love and devotion to God. It is the ultimate sign of our respect of Him. It is a true reflection of how much we really do value our relationship with God. Prayer is where things happen between God and man. A person who prays faithfully and fervently moves the hand of God. Great things are accomplished in the Kingdom of God only when we pray.

When we pray we need to have alert minds. We need to be aware of being in the presence of a holy God. We need to be aware of our need for Him. We need to be aware of our sins and need for forgiveness. We need to be aware of the needs around us. We need to be aware of what the Spirit is moving our hearts to pray for. We need to strive to be at our best when we pray. We know we aren’t always at our best, but our prayer time is most effective when we are.

When we pray we need to have thankful hearts. Thanksgiving is always a part of effective praying. We need to be thankful for all the Lord does in our lives. The list is endless. We owe our very existence to God. We should never take for granted the life we ive. Thanking the Lord for salvation and His constant presence in our lives is always appropriate in praying. Prayer without thanksgiving is not really praying at all.

Yes, we pray for needs, and rightly so. We pray for God to move in our churches and across our nation and world. We pray when we are down, when we are frustrated and we feel all alone. We pray for a countless number of reasons and God wants us to. But, never to forget to pray with thanksgiving. An attitude of gratitude moves God to act when we pray.

TREAT OTHERS RIGHT

 

TREAT OTHERS RIGHT

Col. 4:1-2 You slave owners must be just and fair to your slaves. Remember that you also have a Master—in heaven. Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. NLT

The application of these verses for us today would be for those who are in positions of authority over others. Whether it be in the church or in the public arena, believers have a responsibility before God to treat those under them in a God honoring way. Sometimes the pressures of the job we are in work against us. There is the temptation to be demanding and unfair to others under us. There is also the temptation to feed off of the power and authority we have and let it affect how we treat others. How do we avoid mistreating others? Paul offers us a couple of ideas.

First, we need to be a people of prayer. In order to treat others right, we must stay right with God. We must stay close to the Lord at all times. We must come humbly before God and be willing to listen to Him. We must learn from Him how we must conduct ourselves and then do it.

When we are close to the heart of God, we are going to be kind and gracious. We are going to strive to help others bring out the best in them. We are going to care for them as people and not look at them as just numbers to use. We are going to strive to be honest and fair at all times. We are going to deal with others out of our love for God. Prayer changes how we treat one another, and it is an absolute necessity if we want to be a people after God's own heart, regardless if we are in positions of authority or not.

We are to pray with alert minds. We are to be aware of the needs around us. People are needy. A godly leader is sensitive to people who are in need. If people are hurting, there is an awareness and he prays for them. He does what he can to minister to those in need. He is compassionate and not judgmental.

We are to be thankful. Life offers some of us greater opportunities than others. Some are blessed with good jobs that pay well. A godly person does not take for granted his position in life; instead, he gives thanks to the Lord. No one deserves the blessings of life and we should be grateful for the life we have. No matter what our lot in life is, we are blessed. There are a multitude of people who will never know the blessings you enjoy and take for granted. Daily we ought to thank the Lord for His blessings, love and grace. And, a grateful heart treats others well.

PAY BACK IS COMING

 

PAY BACK IS COMING

Col. 3:25 But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites who can get away with evil. NLT

Everyone stands on equal ground before God. He does not care who you are, what you do, what you have accomplished in life, what your wealth or influence may be, or what stature you may have with man. Each one of us is personally responsible for how we live our lives. No one will get away with sin.

We must recognize and accept this truth. We live in a day in which we put people on pedestals. We are quick to ignore or condone sin in the lives of our leaders. We seldom challenge them on how they are living out the faith. We don’t like to stick our noses into other people’s personal lives and convince ourselves somehow that it’s none of our business.

Or, we may go to the other extreme and get way too nosy. Some of us may always look for faults or sins to expose. Some will hold leaders to a much higher standard than they themselves are living or are willing to live.

God shows no favoritism. We are all held up to the high standards of God’s Word. No one will get away with anything. We will reap what we sow as we stand before God in judgment. We will be defenseless as we hear God tell us our destiny. God knows the heart. Each one will be judged on what He sees there.

Only those in whom Christ dwells will be found pleasing and acceptable to God and where Christ dwells there is righteousness and holiness lived out daily.

WORSHIP WHILE YOU WORK

 

WORSHIP WHILE YOU WORK

Col. 3:23-24 Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ. NLT

Do you work hard for the Lord? Do you put as much effort into your serving the Lord as you do serving yourself or others? Most of us don’t. We tend to not give the Lord our best effort. We take our faith for granted and sort of coast along.

Even if you do work hard at serving the Lord, do you do it out of duty or do you do it cheerfully? Attitude is very important to the Lord. He judges the motives of our hearts. If we are not enjoying what we do for the Lord, what is the point of doing it? No matter what we do in life, it is an act of worship before the Lord. Whether we want to accept it or not, our living is a reflection of our faith. If the Lord isn’t honored in what we do, then we need to re-examine our hearts.

If we see our labors on earth as an act of worship, we will put our best foot forward and strive to do our best. We should work hard and work with pride in what we do. We should always strive to consider our work as being unto the Lord and not man. Sometimes our labors are misunderstood by others and criticized, but if we are doing our best to honor and please the Lord, it doesn’t really matter. Live and work passionately for the Lord and don’t worry about what others may say or think.

We need to always keep in mind that the ultimate reward of our labors is in heaven and not on earth. Whatever rewards we get on earth are temporary and very fleeting; the rewards in heaven are eternal and forever satisfying. It is far better to work with heaven in mind instead of whatever reward man may give you. Give of your best to the Master and great will be your reward in heaven.

 

WORK HARD CHEERFULLY

Col. 3:23-24 Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ. NLT

These verses have been the bedrock of my walk with Christ. The Lord laid these verses on my heart shortly after I began walking seriously with Him. I believe that every believer must put forth the best effort he can muster in the things he does in life. All of life is a witness for Christ and if we are slothful in what we do, it is a reflection on Christ. We dare not give the world just cause to reject Christ because we fail to honor Him in what we do.

It is easier to work hard when we approach our work cheerfully. How can we cheerfully do mundane work? We believe in our hearts that what we do we do it for the Lord. Our work and living is to honor and please our Lord. We do them cheerfully because we understand how loved and blessed we really are by the Lord. We are cheerful because we appreciate our lives and blessings from God. We are cheerful because we know that soon this life will be past and only what is done for Christ will last and matter. We are cheerful because we know that all of our life is an offering unto the Lord and He loves a cheerful giver.

If you are struggling with your attitude, remember these things. Remember that the Lord has an inheritance for you that is far more valuable and precious than anything your heart or mind can imagine, and He is waiting to give it to you. Remember always that it is Christ you are serving and not man. Remember, and go out and live your life to the fullest in Christ, at work, home and play.

REPRESENTATIVE OF CHRIST

 

REPRESENTATIVE OF CHRIST

Col. 3:17 And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father. NLT

Whether we like it or not, everything we say and do represents Christ in some way. We either present Christ to others in a positive light or a negative light. What we do and say matters a great deal. We need to take an honest look at how we portray Christ to the world.

I believe one of the reasons why so many are turned off by Christ is that they don’t see much of Christ in those who profess to believe in Him. Being in Christ is not reserved for our Sunday meetings. We represent Christ every day all day long. It is imperative for Jesus’ sake for the body of Christ to take more care about how they live in the world. People who need the Lord need a people who live well for the Lord in every area of their lives.

People notice how we live. They listen to what we say and if there is a discrepancy between the two, they are quick to judge us and turn off our message. People will jump at the chance to justify themselves and their unbelief. It matters a great deal how we come across to others as children of God.

Our hearts should be so enamored by Christ that they are filled with thanksgiving and praise to God, our Father, for His wondrous plan of salvation and the workings of His grace in us. Gratitude is an attitude that is befitting for the child of God. It is what we are if we are truly living in Christ.

IT'S UP TO YOU

 

IT’S UP TO YOU

Col. 3:16 Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. NLT

It is up to you whether or not God’s Word will dwell in your heart. In order for you to know the richness of God’s Word, you must let it in. You must spend time in it, meditating on it, feasting on it. God’s Word makes one wise.

He who knows well the Word can use it to teach and give counsel to others. It is an essential part of the faith walk. We all need wisdom from the Word. We need others to help us understand truth better and others need us to help them. Together, we are made strong it the faith.

When the Word of God captures and drives the soul, there is much joy in the heart. The heart swells up in praise and thanksgiving. The promises of God move the soul in worship. A joyful heart is a thankful heart.

We deprive our souls of the best of what God has to give us when we starve ourselves of His Word. There can be no songs of praise and thanksgiving in the heart if the Word is not in the heart. The words of Christ give life and if applied to life give abundant life. If you find yourself not singing God’s praises and giving Him thanks from the heart, you need to make His Word an essential part of your daily life.