Dear Church,
You must devote yourself to praying.
The apostle Paul, in Colossians 4:2, instructs the Christian community in Colossae to devote themselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
The word ‘devote’ is intense. It has the following meanings. To adhere to someone or something. To be steadfastly attentive. To persevere and not to faint.
To be devoted to prayer means…
… gluing yourself to the act of praying
… making a praying life your priority
… never giving in to prayerlessness, even, and especially, when life is hard.
Linda and I have a framed saying on display in our home. It reads, “You have my whole heart, for my whole life.” I see it every day, multiple times. I love those words! I know about this thing called devotion. I am devoted to my wife Linda. I am spiritually glued to her, in a bond of covenant love. I love being with her.
As a young man I was devoted to learning to play guitar. No one had to tell me that I had to practice. I wanted, so badly, to play well!
When a person is devoted to something, you won’t be able to separate them from the object of their devotion.
Apply this to praying.
Be devoted to prayer.
Persevere, and do not faint.
Give unremittingly to meeting with God and praying.
This is core Christian behavior. We see it in the early, prototypical church. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 33 (Acts 2:42)
I want you, and your church, to emulate this.
Love,
PJ
DEVOTION
Devote yourself to praying for a Move of God in your church,
and beyond.
Be like William Booth, who viewed himself as a Move of God.
From my book 31 Letters to the Church on Praying.
