Col 4:1-2

God has called us to be devoted to prayer. Jesus told a parable in Luke 11:5ff about a persistent friend who would be heard for his persistence. Then in v.9 Jesus said; 'ask, and it will be give to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened."

Not only are we called to be persistent in our prayer life, we are to be focused. That is to say we are not to pray vague and meaningless prayers, we are to pray about specific people, places, and situations. God is real and He wants to be real in your and my life. He has a passion for His glory to be revealed in you and through you; and much of that work is done througn prayer.

God has reminded me that I am to be more specific in my prayers. In the last few days I have once again been in contact with a blessed brother in Christ, who happens to live in Russia. His heart is burning to start a new church in Russia. He has asked me to join hands with him as he begins to pray for an open door to plant a new church. We agreed to regularly pray for specific things: wisdom, timing, an open door and what my involvement could be to help them.

It is amazing who the Providence of God works even in a reading plan; Amen? In our passage today, Paul, in Col.4 is encouraging the church to be devoted to prayer. Then Paul goes on to tell the believers to pray for specific things (not in a vague way). Paul then goes on to tell them one specific thing he would like them to pray for – that “God (would) open up a door to us for the word, so that we might speak forth the mystery of Christ.”

Just as Paul and the Colossian church is praying for open doors to declare Christ and His message clearly; so my Russian friend Losha and I are praying the very same thing – that God would open the door for this new church, that God would show us how to proceed and when. God’s word is relevant and it is alive, this is just one more testimony that He desires to speak, confirm, and listen.

What is God specifically calling you to persistently pray for:

• A Passion for His Word?
• A renewed love for your wife?
• Open doors to share the Gospel with a family member or co-worker?
• Money to meet your next bill?

Whatever it si, God is waiting to hear from you. He wants to guide us, reveal His glory, His wosdom, His strength and lead us to the place where He has a storehouse of spiritual blessings. We simply need to creaate the daily habit of Listening & Talking. That is we need to create the habit of Listening to the what He has to teach us and tell us through His word. Not only does He want us to listen to Him, He wants us to Talk to Him, and that is prayer. Prayer is simply talking to God, being open and real, He already knows everything about you anyway. It’s like when I can tell that my son is getting tired. He will look at me and say no I am not tired, but I know him better than he knows himself. I can see that He went to bed late the night before, got up early and it is late now. Knowing also from his behavior past and present, I know that he is tired. God knows us in an even more intimate way, He knows our thoughts, even our motives; all this to say – Just talk to Him as you would your earthly father.

I pray God bless you as you seek to create a life habit of Listening & talking to your Heavenly Father. I pray that you take specific prayers daily to the throne room of heaven and allow Him the opportunity to reveal Himself to you as the all powerful, all loving, all compassionate and carrying God that is waiting to speak truth into your life.
If you think of it pray for this church and the families in it. Pray that God would bless it and that His church would mature in it the stature of Christ. Pray that this church would raise up godly men, women, and children for the glory of God. Pray that God would lead us as we seek His will in working alongside Losha in Russia.