Colossians 4:2-6 (ESV)

[2] Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. [3] 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— [4] that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

[5] Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. [6] Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Most translations of the Bible put a space or paragraph break between verses 4 and 5. I understand that. Verses 2-4 seem to be talking about prayer. Verses 5-6 seem to be talking about how to live in relation to unbelievers or “outsiders.” But what if it is a single thought? In truth, they clearly flow together. The flow of thought goes like this:

1.     Continue in prayer

2.     Pray for us

a.      That we would have an open door for the word

b.     That we would make the word clear

3.     Walk with wisdom toward outsiders

4.     Make the best use of time

5.     Let your speech be gracious

6.     So we may know how to answer

Pray is directly connected to evangelism in these verses. In fact, there may even be a chiasm in verses 3-6. If so it looks like this:

Pray for:

a) Open door for the word

            b) Clear words

                        c) Walk with wisdom toward outsiders

                        c) Make the best use of time

            b) Gracious speech

a) Know how to answer

In the middle of that chiasm is the idea of how we walk toward outsiders. We need to make the best use of the time to impact our world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. All of that is introduced with “Continue steadfastly in prayer” (Col 4:2). Prayer then, is foundational to outreach.

How much of our prayer time is dedicated to evangelism and outreach? One of the signs of an inwardly grown church is their prayer life. When inwardly focused churches pray, they pray about getting more comfortable. Outwardly focused churches pray concerning the spread of the gospel despite their discomfort. Inwardly focused individuals and congregations want their pains and diseases to disappear, or at least we want to find some relief. Outwardly focused individuals and congregations see their discomfort as an opportunity for the gospel.

Paul is sitting in prison when he sends this letter to the Colossians. His prayer request is for open doors for the word, and the ability to make the word clear. He is not nearly as concerned about a warm meal, nice guards, and a quick release as he is concerned for the souls of those guards, prison workers, and fellow prisoners. He asks for prayer for opportunities to speak God’s word, and the ability to speak it clearly.

What might it look like if we began to see every hospital trip as an opportunity to take the light of Christ into a dark world? What would it look like if we saw every painful experience in life as an opportunity to speak with grace, to look for open opportunities for the word, and to pray for clarity of speech when those opportunities come? What if we were more concerned about the souls of others than about our own comfort? How might that change our prayer lives and our attitudes?