This is the one-hundred-seventieth lesson in author and pastor Mel Lawrenz’ How to Live the Bible series. If you know someone or a group who would like to follow along on this journey through Scripture, they can get more info and sign up to receive these essays via email here.

“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.” Colossians 4:2-6

Somehow, we miss something if we haven’t seen the naturalness of prayer depicted in Scripture. We wonder what it could mean to be “always in prayer.” Many strong believers down through the ages would answer the question this way: devotion to prayer means a continual conversation with God throughout the day. It’s an instinct to respond to life circumstances by saying something to God about it.

Proclamation, which means telling and showing others the truth and wisdom of God, happens when there is an open door. And there are always open doors around us—but we have to have our eyes open to see them (“being watchful and thankful”). Prayer opens our eyes to doors and gives us the courage to step through them.

The Apostle Paul prayed that even though he was in prison, doors would open for the message of Christ to break out. Imagine that. He didn’t ask for prayer that the door of the prison would open (although he would have welcomed that). He wanted the door of a relationship or a passing contact to open so he could “proclaim [the mystery of Christ] freely.”

And then he had this comment for all of us not locked up in prison that have free contacts with people all day long: fill your conversations with grace (voicing the good things of God) and seasoned with salt (words that protect and preserve, words with flavor!). Know ahead of time how to answer everyone.

The answer begins just by opening the door.

APPLICATION

Take the time today to frequently pray for people who’ve been closed to the truth and wisdom God provides. Pray that God opens the door of their hearts and directs them to a personal relationship with him.
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Mel Lawrenz (@MelLawrenz) trains an international network of Christian leaders, ministry pioneers, and thought-leaders. He served as senior pastor of Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin, for ten years and now serves as Elmbrook’s teaching pastor. He has a PhD in the history of Christian thought and is on the adjunct faculty of Trinity International University. Mel’s many books include Spiritual Leadership Today: Having Deep Influence in Every Walk of Life (Zondervan, 2016). See more of Mel’s writing at WordWay.