Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. – Colossians 4:2
In March 2020, the Barna Group released the results of a two-decades-long study based on more than 100,000 surveys titled “Signs of Decline & Hope Among Key Metrics of Faith.” The data revealed trends of the decline of church attendance, Bible reading, and prayer habits among those who claimed faith in Christ. A review by Mission Box said, “One might describe Christianity today as the proverbial frog in the cultural frying pan as our senses have been dulled by the infusion of the now apparent moral decline that surrounds us. Meanwhile, the ‘frog’ is in danger.” When it came to prayer, the survey found under seven in ten Americans affirmed that they pray weekly. Weekly!?
Other translations of today’s verse say, “Devote yourselves to prayer,” or “Keep praying.” The idea in the original Greek comes from the same root that brings you the word “adhere.”
Paul is telling the believers at Colossae, “Stick with it.” Be watchful, he tells them. In other words, stay alert. Stay attentive to the things around you that require prayer, and prepare to be spontaneous in your conversations with the Lord. Then, keep an attitude of thankfulness. Review God’s blessings in your life, your family, and your circumstances, always acknowledging your dependence upon Him.
Theologian R.C. Sproul stated, “You might pray and not be a Christian, but you cannot be a Christian and not pray.”
Others have said that prayer is to the Christian what oxygen is to the lungs—without it, we die, and with it, we thrive. Tim Keller subtitled his book on prayer, “Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God.” Keller said, “Christianity without real experience of God will eventually be no Christianity at all.”
Become “stuck” on praying. Intercede for church leaders and pastors to be people of prayer themselves, calling others to return to praying as a lifestyle.
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