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2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 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. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Paul writes this letter from prison in Rome. The church in Colossae was founded by Epaphras who had traveled to Ephesus to learn about Christ from Paul. Paul’s letter was written to warn the church of the heresy that was building there. He ends the letter with instructions for Christian living.

This section is subtitled “Further Instructions”. Paul tells the church to devote themselves to prayer. Specifically, he asks them to pray for his continued ministry even while he is in prison. He tells them in v.5 to “be wise in the way you act toward outsiders”. This phrase is key for us living in today’s world. Much of the pressures of our society lead us to be wary of outsiders. We are instructed to reach out to others and reveal Christ to them. An important aspect of talking with others is listening.

Dear Lord, we pray to learn how to show your love and grace through our daily lives. Help us to listen to what others are saying before we speak. Amen.

 

Barry Dougherty

barryd72@aol.com

Prayer Concern - For peace and understanding among people

 

Additional readings - Song of Songs 2:8-15 and Psalm 16