Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture Reading

Introduction

Paul is nearing the end of his letter to the believers in Colossae.

He has been exhorting them and encouraging them to live a life worthy of the Gospel.

In chapters 1 and 2, he reminded the believers of the glorious truths concerning their salvation, particularly focusing on the person and work of Jesus Christ.

But in chapter 3, he focused in on the implications of the Gospel for daily life.

In other words, the Gospel is not merely head knowledge.

Rather, the Gospel radically transforms hearts and minds.

I would suggest to you that the Gospel transforms us as we obtain an awareness of particular truths.

But it also transforms us from within, as the power of the Spirit works in us to apply these truths to our own lives.

The life of the Christian ought to be radically different, distinct from the world.

That should come across in terms of relationships.

How we as Christians relate to one another, how we speak to one another, how we act towards one another, should be very different to what is seen in the world.

I won’t delve further into the details of that right now, but the reason that I remind us of these things is that it has a bearing on that verses that we’ll be considering this evening.

Our text this evening is a call from Paul to the Colossian Believers to Devote themselves to prayer.

And I would suggest from the outset that without this critical element of prayer, the rest of the exhortations and encouragements would be of little value.

As we consider this call to prayer, I want to emphasize the fact that Prayer will enable the Christian to live out the rest of the exhortations and encouragements that have been outlined.

What I mean by that is that God will use prayer as the means by which He enables Christians to assimilate and appreciate the truths of the Gospel.

And God will use prayer as the means by which He brings to effect the kind of character that we’ve been looking at in our study of Colossians 3.

In other words, Prayer is absolutely essential if we are going to be putting into practice all that Paul has encouraged and exhorted through these verses.

As we look at these three verses, there are four things that I’d like us to note about prayer through Paul’s encouragement to the church.

Prayer Requires Devotion

Prayer Requires Attentiveness

Prayer Involves Gratitude

Prayer Fuels Evangelism

1. Prayer Requires Devotion

As Paul begins this section in Colossians, he urges the believers in Colossae to be "devoted" to prayer.

He says to them, “Devote yourselves to prayer!”

This is a truly important exhortation to Christians.

We know what it means to pray.

And I think we all understand something of the challenge of praying.

It is something that most of us struggle to engage in.

We really have to apply ourselves to it in order to pray well.

Paul’s instruction here is for these Christians to devote themselves to prayer, which suggests a consistent and persistent commitment to communication with God through prayer.

John Newton, the 18th-century Anglican clergyman and hymn-writer, is reported to have said: "I cannot remember the time when I did not pray; but I fear I have too often prayed without fervor and devotion."

Perhaps that has been your experience too.

But Paul has a deep understanding of just how important prayer is for the Christian life.

There are a number of reasons why devotion to prayer is such an important factor in our lives as Christians.

Firstly, we must keep in mind that prayer is an important means of communication with God.

For Paul, prayer was a way to communicate with God, to express his needs and desires before God, and to seek His guidance and direction.

Andrew Murray said…

"Prayer is the open admission that without Christ we can do nothing.

It is an acknowledgement of our dependence upon Him."

Prayer is also the means by which we may draw near to God.

As we grow in our faith, and as we seek to cultivate a deeper relationship with God, it is through prayer that we do this.

John Piper has said:

"Prayer is the way we draw near to God and learn to love Him.

It is the way we open ourselves to His will and ways."

Prayer is also the expression of our utter dependence upon God.

In a world that is often uncertain and unpredictable, prayer is the expression of our trust in God and our reliance on His character and His promises.

It is the expression of a deep trust in God to work in us that which we are unable to work in ourselves.

Now, consider this in the context of the exhortations that we’ve been looking at in Colossians 3. Consider the character qualities that are to mark the Christian, and just how far removed those character qualities are from the person without God’s grace.

But the reality is that if we fail to pray, we cut ourselves off from the very power of God that is needed to live in that manner.

If we would put aside all anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from our mouths (Col.3:8) then we need the power of God to do this.

If we would have a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, just as God forgave us (Col.3:12-13) and if we would clothe ourselves in love (Col.3:14) and allow the peace of Christ to rule within our hearts (Col.

3:15) then we need the power of God.

That power of God is granted through prayer.

Very possibly, one of the reasons that we fail to see genuine progress in our lives as Christians, the reason that we are often weak and ineffective in our Christian testimony, and in life and example, is because we are failing to humble ourselves before God and ask Him for that which is truly according to His will.

When Paul writes here about devotion to prayer, he is not speaking about being devoted to asking God for the next nice toy or gadget or item of pleasure.

He’s calling upon believers to devote themselves to seeking the Lord in order that the Spirit of Christ may truly dwell in them, that the power of sin may be broken, and that true godliness may flourish in their hearts!!

Let me pose a question to you now… are you devoted to prayers in which you earnestly plead with God for Christ to be perfected in you?

Do you regularly, persistently, urgently plead with God to transform your heart’s desires, and the character of your life, such that you put Christ on display because the Fruit of the Spirit has been cultivated in you?

This is high a calling, but an urgent one!!

2. Prayer Requires Attentiveness

Christians are told by Paul to be "watchful" in their prayer.

What does Paul mean here?

There are a couple of things that we should note in this regard.

Firstly, Paul is urging the Christians in Colossae to be on guard against distractions or other obstacles that might hinder their prayer.

Prayer is always challenging, as we’ve already noted.

In this context of a call to “devotion to prayer,” Paul is urging the Christians to carefully watch that they do not become distracted, or weary, or have things draw them away from this devotion to prayer.

What draws you away from meaningful, urgent prayer?

Social media and the Internet

Television and streaming video

Smartphones and other mobile devices

Work or school-related tasks and responsibilities

Personal relationships and conflicts

Financial concerns and money management

Health problems or physical discomfort

Leisure activities and hobbies

Travel and busy schedules

Political or social issues and events

All kinds of things could distract us from prayer.

Paul urges the Christians to be watchful.

Beyond this, it's possible that Paul is specifically cautioning against spiritual attacks or temptations that might try to derail the believers' commitment to prayer.

Satan and his forces are certainly at work, and we must not think that there will not be a concerted effort to undermine our efforts to prayer.

Satan will seek to capitalize on those things that lead us to distraction.

He will use them, place them in our path, present the temptation to us, and we will follow and walk down a path of distraction.

Further to this, Paul must have had in his mind a concern for the well-being of the church as a whole.

In other words, these relational concerns that he’s been addressing in Colossians 3 would be undermined if Christians are not watchful, and do not present these concerns to God in prayer, and ask for the leading and guiding of His Spirit to keep them united as a body.

The same word is used elsewhere in Scripture, and calls us to be on our guard for the sake of God and His Kingdom purposes.

In these verses we see a clear and consistent call to watchfulness and alertness as Christians.

Overall, the exhortation to be "watchful" in prayer suggests a sense of attentiveness and focus, as well as a willingness to persevere in prayer even when it is difficult or inconvenient.

Thirdly...

3. Prayer Requires Gratitude

The believers are also told to be "thankful" in their prayer.

It’s striking to see the emphasis, even through this letter, on the importance of gratitude for the Christian.

Paul began his letter telling the Colossian believers that he (and his co-authors of this letter) always thank God when they pray for the Colossian believers (Col.1:3).

In Colossians 1:12, Paul said that he prayed for the Colossian believers to be those who gave thanks to the Father.

In Colossians 2:7, Paul said that he desired this church to be those who are “overflowing with thankfulness.

In Colossians 3:15, Paul instructed the Colossian believers to “be thankful.”