Paul wrote to the believers at Colossae to correct, encourage, and teach them. In this verse, he is telling them to pray. A lot. Like, to be devoted to it.

To be devoted in this case is to continually give all or a large part of one’s time or resources to prayer. What most of us do is send a hat tip God’s way with lots of asks for wants and desires.

What would it look like if we who are called Christian actually did what Colossians 4:2 says? Would God’s power be unleashed in us? Would we behave differently? Would we have better responses to people in trying circumstances? Would we love each other more? Would we feel compelled to tell the world of God’s love for them?

What if we were constantly earnest, unwearied, and steadfast in our prayers to God, pouring out praise and blessing on the One who carved out the oceans?

Note the last part, that we’re to pray with an alert mind and a thankful heart. What’s that about?

It is easy to get into a rut where our prayers become a rote practice and we say the same things over and over with our minds making up the grocery list or lining up the day’s tasks. That’s not what God wants. He wants us laser-focused on our time in conversation with Him. When we find our minds wandering during prayer, we need to make changes. Turn on music, turn off music, change locations, shift positions, turn off devices, turn off lights, turn on lights… make some sort of change to get us out of the complacency that allows our minds to drift from the importance of those moments with the Creator.

What if every time we encountered a situation, good or bad, we talked to God about it? Thanking Him for the sweet parking space, asking him for protection when you feel unsafe, seeking how He wants you to respond to that person…

Now more than ever, the world needs to see believers acting differently than those who don’t know God. There should be a marked difference. A difference that entices those who don’t know Him to enter into a relationship with Him.

Let’s do it, shall we? Let’s become constantly devoted, alert, and thankful pray-ers and see what if.

Coffee, Bible, Journal.