Start with Prayer | Colossians

Gospel Issues

2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. (Colossians 4:2)

You Need to Pray

“Since prayer is talking with God, why don’t people pray more? Why don’t the people of God enjoy prayer more? I maintain that people—truly born-again, genuinely Christian people—often do not pray simply because they do not feel like it. – Donald Whitney

Pause

Rejoice

Ask

Yield

Keep it simple. Keep it real. Keep it up.

Prayer is Steadfast

Prayer is Watchful

A Hurting World Should Push You to Pray, Not Criticize

“Satan dreads nothing but prayer. His one concern is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, he mocks our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.” – Samuel Chadwick

“Our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12 )

“Prayer does not just fit us for the greater work. Prayer is the greater work.”

Pray with Thanksgiving

3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. (Colossians 4:3-4)

An Opportunity to Share the Gospel

To Declare the Ministry of Christ

“You never outgrow your need for the gospel. You never graduate to a course where the gospel should not be the center of the curriculum. There’s no post-gospel graduate school in the Christian life. The center of every ongoing growth in knowledge has Christ crucified, risen, received by faith alone like a little child at the center of the curriculum.” – John Piper

Don’t Allow Your Circumstances to Hinder Your Mission

Because of our mission, we must ensure our circumstances, feelings, fears, and insecurities do not hinder it

Our Prayers Matter

5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Colossians 4:5-6)

How We Live Matters

Speak Life