Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.  At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison – that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. (Colossians 4:2-4)

​

One day in my young married life, I began to wonder what it would be like if Jesus visited my home.  I had a pile of laundry to be folded.  The floor needed to be mopped due to spilled Kool-Aid and feet were sticking to the floor as you walked!  Dirty dishes were in the sink.  I had a long to-do list of things to do for the church.  

​

I realized I had been neglecting the one thing that I truly needed – prayer time with God.  While the house was quiet before the family got home, I decided to take some time to meditate on God’s Word and pray.  Those twenty or thirty minutes of prayer time allowed me to have the strength and stamina I needed to finish the tasks before me, and found my to-do list was not so overwhelming.

​

Colossians 4:2 says, “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”  I asked the Lord to let my heart be in prayer not only for myself but for others in need, and to help me to do it with a thankful heart.  I also prayed that God would open more doors for me to share the message of salvation and that it would be meaningful.

​

Our houses might not always be completely clean, and the pile of laundry may need to be folded, but time spent communing with God aligns our hearts to His. No matter what season of life you may be in (those with messy houses or perfectly clean empty-nesters or retired senior citizens) the Lord can use us all to share the message of the Gospel if we are watchful and prayerful for Him to open doors for us to reach the lost for His Kingdom.  When we take time to pray, it will be like finding living water in the desert.

 

Questions to Ponder: What distractions in your life are keeping you from having more prayer time with God? How can the Lord use you in your current circumstances to reach others with the good news of the gospel of Jesus?

 

Prayer:  Lord, help me to make time for prayer and devotion.  Help me to be watchful for opportunities to declare Your truth to those around me and to use my life for Your Kingdom and Your glory.  Amen.