Larry Reynolds, Denton, TX

Colossians 4:2-4 - "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God may open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned."

“Devote yourselves to prayer”(2) - The word translated “devote” in first part of v.2 carries idea of holding steadfastly to something. The verb is a compound word which literally means “to hold fast and not let go” or “to be courageously persistent.” Therefore, the phrase “devote yourselves to prayer” means to be steadfast in your prayer life. Don’t give up on prayer. Don’t become discouraged. Don’t quit. Keep at it on a regular basis. The Living Bible renders the phrase, “Don’t be weary in prayer, keep at it.” [TLB] The following phrases describe what a life devoted prayer life looks like. 

• “keeping alert” - The phrase literally means, in its most basic sense, “to stay awake physically.” We’re not going to pray with much power if we’re dozing off in the middle of prayer!  But think there’s a deeper meaning to the phrase “keeping alert in it” than mere physical alertness. It means our prayers should not be mechanical or careless. We should carefully think through what we take before God. One commentator translates the phrase “keeping alert in it” as “give your whole mind to it” [TCNT]. 
• “with an attitude of thanksgiving” – The point is, every prayer should contain an element of thanksgiving. It is not possible to turn to God in prayer without being thankful for the incredible privilege of coming into His presence and for all that He has done for us. Prayer and gratitude go hand in hand. Where there is no gratitude there will be no prayer. And where there is no prayer, there is no gratitude.
• “that God may open up a door for the word…” - Paul asked that they pray for something concrete and specific. Too often our prayers are vague and general, not asking for anything in particular. But when look at the prayers in the NT and especially at the model prayer (which is often referred to as the Lord’s Prayer), it’s clear the NT teaches us to pray for specific things. In the Model prayer Jesus mentioned a number of specific requests such as give us our daily bread, forgive us our debts, do not lead us into temptation, and deliver us from evil.

For more detailed notes on Colossians go to http://www.larryreynolds.org-a.googlepages.com/home)