The Book of Colossians, Chapter 4 — Verses 2–6 discuss how a Christian person conducts his/her thoughts and attitude — an attitude of continual prayer and thankfulness.
As such, Paul begins by reminding us to remain in a constant and loyal prayer. God does not intend for prayer to be an event taking place only at certain times. It is meant to be an ongoing dialogue with the Lord.
First Thessalonians 5:17 notes believers are to "pray without ceasing" or without end."
Paul mentions two important aspects of prayer. First, believers are to be "watchful" in prayer. This carries the idea of standing guard, or staying awake at night to make sure a location is safe. Prayer demands ongoing attention, just like the guard at a city gate. In practical terms, this means prayer is not supposed to be a careless, casual, or frivolous act. We should pray with specific purpose and with deliberate intent.
Second, prayer should be thankful. The Colossian believers were already connected with thanksgiving (Colossians 2:7), with Paul thanking God for them in his prayers (Colossians 1:3). A major benefit of prayer is aligning our will with God's will, which leads to greater understanding and to a greater sense of gratitude.
Context Summary
The first verse of chapter 4 is actually the last thought from Paul's prior comments about bondservants and masters. After this, Paul gives the Christian perspective on conversation. The way believers speak has a large impact on the effectiveness of our message. Paul then ends his letter with news and messages between various Christian ministers. Among these are names which Paul mentions again in other letters, such as Tychicus, Epaphras, Archippus, and Onesimus.
Colossians 4:2–6 completes the main substance of Paul's letter. This passage starts with a request for personal prayer, then transitions into a command regarding how Christians speak. Paul uses the metaphor of salt. Salt, in Paul's day, was valuable enough to be used as money, and was treasured for its ability to preserve and flavor foods. In the same way, a Christian's speech should be helpful and valuable, ''flavored'' differently from the speech of non-believers, and preserving the message of Christ.
GOD BLESS YOU.
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