Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Opening Scripture

Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to excess. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:15-20

Opening Prayer

Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for rest and the promise of a new day. I praise You for Your loving kindness, Your thoughtful provision, and Your comforting presence. Help my hope and security be in You today, not in what I do, what I have, or what others think. May Your Spirit guide me in the way I should go. Help me to appreciate Your blessings and see You at work around me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

Colossians 4:2-6

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Reflection  

There is a lot of truth packed into these few verses. Paul begins with one of his famous direct commands: “devote yourselves to prayer.” The word “devote” (proskartereó) means to be earnest toward and constantly diligent in. It implies persistence, perseverance, and steadfastness. Proskartereó appears ten times in the New Testament, each time describing a conscious, sustained commitment.

That conscious, sustained commitment is often associated with prayer. Clearly, Paul views prayer among God’s people as essential, not elective. Luke offers three examples during the initial establishment of the Church, where the apostles and the first disciples declared their diligence and devotion to prayer.

“They all joined together constantly (proskartereó) in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers” (Acts 1:14).

“They devoted (proskartereó) themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).

“Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention (proskartereó) to prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:3-4).

Paul also admonishes his listeners (and us) to be “watchful” (spiritually alert and attentive) and “thankful” (exhibiting an attitude of gratitude). It is the same exhortation he gives in Ephesians 6:18, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

Paul asks the Colossians to pray that he will be able to proclaim “the mystery of Christ.” The word “mystery” (mustérion) refers to something previously concealed that has now been revealed. Specifically, it signifies a divine secret, once hidden, now disclosed by God to His people of the New Covenant.

Recall that Jesus explained this experience of “divine mystery” to His disciples. “The disciples came to him and asked, ‘Why do you speak to the people in parables?’ He replied, ‘Because the knowledge of the secrets (mustérion) of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them’” (Matthew 13:10-11).

Through parables, Jesus both concealed and revealed God’s truth. Outsiders heard common stories. Insiders perceived “the knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.” Of course, the essential essence of that kingdom is the presence of King Jesus Himself, concealed to the masses and recognized only by grace through faith.

Paul talks about this “mystery” earlier in his letter to the Colossians. “The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:26-27).

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christians

Even as Paul asks the Colossian believers to pray that he will proclaim the gospel clearly, he encourages his listeners to do so as well. “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders. Make the most of every opportunity.

Let your conversation be full of grace, seasoned with salt.

This sounds much like Peter’s instruction in his first letter. “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander” (1 Peter 3:15-16).

The first step in all of this is declaring your allegiance and devotion to King Jesus – in your heart, affirming “Jesus is Lord!” Then, always being prepared to naturally share a positive word about your relationship with Jesus as an opportunity presents itself. What does it mean that “Christ in you is your hope of glory”? Can you share with another person what that means to you?

When we talk to people about the reason we trust in Jesus with gentleness and respect – or as Paul says, “full of grace, seasoned with salt” – God can use that for His glory. We never know who the Holy Spirit has been dealing with, convicting them of sin, and drawing them to Jesus. A simple testimony about the hope that you have in Christ can be the answer to a person’s prayer.

Even if someone should “speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ,” God may well use that to help bring an individual to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus. “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

What are you “devoted” to? Is that obvious to the people around you?

How are you embracing the mystery that “Christ in you” is your hope of glory?

This week’s collective prayer: Lord, I pray for lost friends, family members, and colleagues. May they hear Your call to salvation in fresh new ways this week and give their lives to Jesus. Amen.

You can do more than pray after you’ve prayed, but you can’t do more than pray until you’ve prayed!