“Starting with Jesus doesn’t mean the day will be easy—it means we’re reminded who walks with us through all of it. Before the schedules, responsibilities, worries, and noise take over, spend a little time in His presence. Let His truth steady your heart before anything else has the chance to shape it.” Quote and photo borrowed from Salt & Light ~
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. – Psalm 143:8 NIV
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:22–23 ESV
Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. – Psalm 30:5
It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening. – Psalm 92:2
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. – Mark 1:35 NIV
Through the years, I have learned that starting the day with Jesus can make a huge difference. Whether in attitude, strength, peace, hope, joy, and ~ well, pretty much any other emotion a person can have. Our outlook on the day ahead can be affected by what we’re facing ~ worries, fears, a tough day at the office, a dreaded appointment, overwhelming daily tasks, leftover anger or hurt from the day before… However your day starts, whether it’s when your eyes open or after your feet hit the floor, there is one sure way to get even a good day off to a better start ~ and that’s with our eyes on Jesus. A verse, a study, a prayer … time in His presence is a difference-maker in attitude, heart, and mind. It can change how we see, speak, and listen to others. It can alter how we hear others, forgive others, and serve others. The presence of God, before us – behind us – and in us changes us from the inside out. It makes life sweeter and brighter because, as this ‘oldie but goodie’ by the Gaithers says: “Just a little talk with Jesus makes it right.”
Thursday / Devoted to Prayer Read: Colossians 4:2-6; 1 John 5:14-15 SOAP: Colossians 4:2
Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.
Colossians 4:2
Attitude matters. It matters in our relationships and conversations. It matters in classrooms, in the home, in the office, in the neighborhood, at church, in difficult situations. Honestly, attitude matters in just about any scenario we can name, even (or perhaps especially) prayer. Why? Because our attitude spills forth in our words and actions. From smiles to frowns to tears and scowls…from kind words/actions to hateful ones; our attitudes feed our behavior.
A settled way of thinking or feeling about someone, something, or an idea, which is typically shown through a person’s behavior. 1
When it comes to prayer, Paul teaches that our attitude is to be one of devotion, alertness, thankfulness, and of course, faith. We are to be committed to praying. We are to be watchful, making sure we pray purposefully and not offering up empty prayers. This requires effort and intentionality from us to know who and what needs to be covered in prayer. This helps us to pray with purpose and to align our prayers with God’s expressed will and/or character. We may not always know what God wants in a situation, but we know that He is the great physician, so we can pray for healing. We know that He came to save sinners, so we can pray for the lost. We know He can do more than we ask or even imagine, so we can pray for the seemingly impossible. We know that He wants us to know peace and to have rest – so we can and should call out to Him for both.
To be clear, for a believer in Jesus Christ ~ prayer is communication with God based on the promise2 that He hears and answers us according to His will. It is a privilege to come boldly before His throne…it is calling out to Him in fear…pain…desperation…It is lifting up praises and thanksgiving for things He has done…It is a relationship builder and strengthening agent of our faith.
Friends, Paul makes it clear throughout this letter and others that we need to exercise our faith, and one way we do that is through prayer. That’s right, prayer strengthens our faith in God. Go back and read Paul’s prayer for the believers in chapter one of Colossians.
So how is your attitude toward/in prayer?
Do you see it as simply a duty or a privilege and joy?
Is it a hurry and get it done attitude or cherished time with God?
Do you pray in faith, or does doubt creep in?
Do you come to Him as a Father/Friend or as an unseen deity?
Do you come with your heart and mind on Him or with the distractions of the world?
Do you pray with an attitude of thanksgiving that flows from trusting God?
We exercise our faith by going to God and asking Him for everything we need, especially spiritual fruit, trusting Him to provide and thanking Him for it.
Christ Is All I Need / LGG digital Journal / p 190
As John wrote in 1 John 5:14, when we pray, we can have confidence that, when we pray according to His will, God hears us. In other words, our confidence doesn’t come from praying, but from the One we pray to… and praying in accordance with His will ~ ie., the things we know He wants (salvation for the lost3, obedience4, unity5, love6, peace7, understanding His Word and will8, wisdom9, His help10…)
And this is the confidence that we have before him: that whenever we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, then we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him. ~ 1 John 5:14-15
Whether you pray in a quiet room or a noisy office, in your car on the way to work, or as you wait in line at the grocery store – pray. Prayer is not relegated to a closet (though those moments are priceless); it is an ongoing, open line of communication with the Creator of the universe. Remember, while Jesus got alone with God in the garden, He also called out to God from the cross. The One who spoke the worlds into place has invited us to come, not just with certain things but with all of our cares (1 Peter 5:7). And He doesn’t invite us out of obligation but because He loves and cares for us. I have found that the more we devote ourselves to prayer, the more we find ourselves devoted to God – and vice versa. From this devotion comes a growing confidence in and understanding of God, as well as an unshakable faith – that allows us to say with the Psalmist, I keep my eyes always on the Lord; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
“I keep my eyes always on the Lord; because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Ps 16:8)
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.
Bibleref.com / Colossians 4:2
Paul is nearing the end of his letter and is impressing on the people that they will need to be people of prayer. He knows they will need courage and help in the call to be witnesses and that they still have much to learn about living the Christian life. They will face trials and carry burdens, and they will need God’s help. Paul understands that their source of help, strength, and wisdom is from God and that they only need to ask. So he urges them not just to pray but to devote themselves to the habit and practice of prayer. Like breathing, it is to be a way of life for every believer. They will need to make time for prayer, and friends, we need to do the same ~ which is why we must understand the necessity of prayer. As we called out to God for our salvation, we must continually call out to Him for our daily needs, for the forgiveness of sins, and for the help we need to escape the temptations to sin. He is our strength and our fortress, a very present help in times of trouble – all we need to do is call to Him, and He will hear and answer us.
Response of Worship
Reflection and Application
As we are called to be devoted to prayer, what things do you need to take in prayer to Christ today?
Prayer Response
Father, thank You for the privilege of prayer. Thank You that You want to commune with Your children and for the promise that when we call out to You ~ You will hear us and answer according to Your will. Thank You for being such a personal God, inviting us to come with just ‘certain things/needs’ but with all of our cares. You are a good, good Father, and we are most blessed to be Your children ~ Amen and Amen!
The More We Know
Studying the book of Colossians has really shown us how much we need prayer if we want to live wisely. The Christian life cannot be lived any other way except by faith. We exercise our faith by going to God and asking Him for everything we need, especially spiritual fruit, trusting Him to provide and thanking Him for it. Christ Is All I Need / LGG digital Journal / p 190
Jesus taught us to never give up praying. He has given us wonderful promises: “Ask and it will be given to you,” (Matthew 7:7) and “whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you” (John 15:16). And then there is this sobering statement by James about lack of prayer: “You do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2). Christ Is All I Need / LGG digital Journal / p190
In any given dictionary you will find humility defined something like this … “a modest or low view of one’s own importance, humbleness, the state of being humble.” Most of these definitions are followed by a sentence structured around the word in the hope of making the definition clear. However, there is no clearer illustration of humility than what we are reading in Philippians today, specifically verses 3-8. What I love about Paul – is he doesn’t simply instruct the believers to let their actions be motivated by or in humility but he includes the perfect illustration in the person and actions of Christ.
Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interest of others as well. you should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had., who though He existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross!
Philippians 2:3-8
Christ-like Humility
To this day I still remember the first day that I read this passage with any real knowledge or understanding and it still makes the same aww-inspiring impact on me when I read it today. What a beautiful perspective it puts on the love and actions of Jesus Christ on our behalf. From the humble cradle in the animal stall to the garden prayer, and the nails, thorns, and cross Christ was the ‘poster-child’ for humility – and we are called to have that same attitude. His attitude was one that”
wasn’t motivated by selfish ambition or vanity but –
was – steeped in humility and therefore –
even though He was God in the flesh He didn’t demand to be treated like God – but instead
He emptied Himself of His rightful authority and took on the form of a servant
by looking like other men
by sharing in human nature and –
humbling Himself and becoming obedient to death on the cross
Putting Away
Thus – if we are going to have the same attitude as Christ, we must practice humility – namely, by putting away any selfish ambitions or vanity. We must treat one another better than we treat ourself. we must be truly concerned about others – for only then is there any hope for our attitude to mirror the servant heart of Christ.
Response to God’s Word
Father, I ask again today for an attitude like that of Christ – a servant’s heart, an obedient spirit that puts Your will above my own or anyone else’s. I know this is Your will for me and for all of Your children. In Jesus’ name and power – and in accordance with Your will – I pray, Amen!
Love God Greatly
Be sure and check-out Wednesday’s blog post from the Love God Greatly team –
In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
What a year we have had! Different from any other than we have known – which may be said of any year – but let’s be honest – not with quite the magnitude of 2020! It’s been filled with a pandemic that’s included confusion, fears, deaths, arguments, economic struggles, and disasters, loss of lives and jobs and sanity – and the list goes on. We have watched riots of various degrees and reasons, and political chaos, not to mention all of the individual happenings in our own lives.
So how, in this crazy messed up world, can we be thankful? And, for what can we be thankful? As I was typing these questions, a song I heard and sang often growing up in church came to mind. Count Your Blessings, was just a hymn in those days but little did I know that the words were teaching me a lesson I would use throughout the course of my life. I don’t know when it happened, but for as long as I can remember it has actually been a ‘go-to’ for me in times of trouble or sadness. I have used its underlying principle of naming my blessings whenever life is challenging, or disappointing, depressing, discouraging … well, you get the picture. Since any of those words could easily sum up 2020 it isn’t surprising that it comes to mind now.
In looking up the lyrics – so that I could make sure to include all the right words and the writers name, I came across this quote published in a “Story Behind the Song“, in the St. Augustine Record. Since it goes to the heart of the issue that led to me writing today’s post it seems very fitting to share here –
All too often, in this great land of America, we seem to lapse into a state of ingratitude, taking for granted all of the blessings and comforts we enjoy. We revert into an attitude of self-satisfaction, expecting that peace and bliss will always follow us. During those times we should, with sincerity of heart, count our blessings!”
Posted November 20, 2014
The author of the quote, whose name I could not find, hits the proverbial nail on the head with saying that – “we seem to lapse into a state of ingratitude”, though, I would add self-entitlement to the reasoning of “self-satisfaction”. Here’s why, the word attitude is defined as – “a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person’s behavior.” Let’s face it – if our gratitude is dependent on self our preconceived satisfaction and entitlements will always fall short and leave us, ultimately, in some form of despair. However, when our settled way of thinking and feeling about anything is based on God, who He is and what He’s done, we will always find something to be thankful for. Ann VosKamp said it like this, Joy is a function of gratitude – and gratitude is a function of perspective. Yes, even in this epic year there is something to be thankful for. I encourage you – here and now – name one blessing – one thing in 2020 that you are thankful for … then another and another. Count them – name them one by one – I promise you will be surprised at what God has done – in your life, in another’s, or in our world. Stop and take a minute to comment below with one thing you’re thankful for … you might just inspire a list of gratitude in someone else.
