September 7, 2022 - Colossians‬ ‭4:2

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2 NIV

Jesus, we want to learn what it really means to devote ourselves to prayer. This makes me think of when you were in the Garden of Gethsemane. We read in Mark 14:32-42, you took Peter, James, and John with you and asked them to stand watch with you. Lord, we want to know how to do that. We want to discipline ourselves in this art. Like any top athlete or elite soldier, they don’t get to the top of their field by accident. It takes training and discipline. It takes pressing in when they are tired and want to stay in bed. It takes sacrifice, as they must say no to other things so they can spend more time practicing and perfecting their craft. Lord, we want to train ourselves in the art of prayer. We want to be able to stand with you and help carry your burdens. Show us what you long for us to lift up in prayer. Open our minds and ears to hear and understand how we should pray. Teach us how to be experts at standing with you in prayer.

Lord, we know that prayer really does change situations. It allows you to move and intervene in different situations. Teach us what it means to really be watchmen for your Kingdom. We want to be alert and ready to intercede anytime you ask. If you wake us up in the middle of the night, we want to answer and say, “Yes, Lord, how can we pray?” Help us be willing to set aside and, if needed, sacrifice our plans to stand with you in prayer when you ask. Turn us into watchkeepers that you can trust to be ready when you need us.

Lord, we also ask that you open our eyes to see all the blessings you have placed in our lives. Let us see all the ways you love and care for us. As we see these things, we want to live in a constant state of gratefulness for them. We want to take the time often to say thank you. Thank you!

In Jesus name, amen.