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Colossians 4:2-6, Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.  And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.  Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.  Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

This last chapter of Colossians begins with a word to slave owners to treat their slaves in a way that was fair and right.  Please note that Paul's mention of slavery is in no way supportive of it.  Slavery was a reality in the Roman Empire.  Paul's discussion of loving others as Jesus loved them and his focus that people all are equal in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28), suggest his disapproval of the institution.  Among those in the early church, slaves were treated as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Today's focus verses are the last bit of advice on Christian living that Paul offers to the church at Colossae.  He reminds the Colossians that three things are crucial: prayer, wisdom, and grace-filled speech/communication.  First, their lives were to be devoted to prayer.  This isn't too different from his command to the Thessalonians to pray without ceasing.  A devoted prayer life includes a lifestyle of prayer, rooted in both gratitude and vigilance.  I love how he asks them to pray for open doors to share the Gospel message, specifically that God would provide opportunities for Paul to share the Good News of Jesus wherever his life journey took him.

Then, there is this focus on wisdom.  Remember, Paul is encouraging them to stay away from the false teachers and immerse themselves in Godly wisdom. Wisdom provides the right atmosphere for the Christian walk.  We must be wise in what we allow ourselves to ingest into our minds and bodies, wise in our talk, and wise in our actions.  This is so critical because it's our everyday, walking around lives that are the strongest witness to those outside the church. 

Finally, there is an emphasis on grace-filled speech and communication.  Oh, how our mouths get us into trouble over and over again.  My guess is it wasn't too different 2000 years ago.  Paul implores them to speak words of grace which are also "salty," words that make a difference but also words that are well-seasoned, not offensive, effective.  Words can build up and words can tear down.  Paul is saying to use words that effectively build up the Kingdom of God.  Those who follow Jesus need to be intentional and careful in what and how they speak.

We could just as easily have this same discussion today.  Without even thinking too much about it, Christians are so careless with what they say and do.  Certainly, the foundation of transformation is a devoted prayer life, to which Paul alludes.  When we are vigilant about prayer, when we develop a lifestyle of prayer, then we are less careless in the other areas of our lives. We are wiser, we are more grace-filled in speech and actions.  It's possible that if every single person at New Hope made an intentional commitment to maintain a devoted, vigilant lifestyle of prayer, then Jesus could surely change the world through us. Certainly, our church would be transformed in pretty incredible ways!

Let's pray...Jesus, Oh, how we need you!  We need you to work within us and through us.   Change our hearts, O Lord, so that we can bring glory to you.  More of you, less of me.  Amen.