I think sometimes we forget the immense power of prayer, I know I do. I forget in those heavy times in life how prayer moves the heart of God; how it changes our hearts, how it aligns us to what God is doing; how it wakes us up to God’s Holy Spirit, and how it makes us aware to the lies of the enemy.

Prayer is so powerful.

When I was a very new Christian my minister explained that prayer was just a fancy way of saying “talking with God”. I love that it is with God and not to God, because talking to is just speaking words and talking with is having a relationship. It’s implies communication, listening, taking in what the other is saying and responding to it.

In Colossians 4:2 the apostle Paul writes, so devote yourselves to… devote yourselves to prayer; devote yourselves to being a friend of God - conversing with God, communicating with God.

Then Paul says, being watchful and thankful. This idea of being watchful shows up in the New Testament several times. The time that comes immediately to mind for me is when Jesus asks the disciples to be watchful when he is praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. He wants his disciples to stay up with him, to be vigilant, to know what is going on, to keep their eyes open and stay awake… and that is what God is saying to us through Paul in this verse.

Be watchful. God is saying know what is going on around you, take ground, be ready for when I open a door so you can run through it. Be ready for a moment for the kingdom to advance, and do it!

And also be thankful in your prayers. It’s kind of two sides of the same coin…in one way we are taking ground like a soldier and in another we are looking back at God’s faithfulness saying this is who you are, thank you. As we thank God it increases our faith to be more watchful and vigilant for Him.

I encourage you today to devote yourself to prayer to be more watchful and thankful.It is so powerful, it will change your day. It will change your life.

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (Col. 4:2)