Welcome to a year in the Bible with daily grace. My name is Kristen and my name is Katie and we want to spend a few minutes a day with you walking through the New Testament one chapter at a time.

This year we will fix our gaze upon Christ so that we may know

him, not only with our minds but with our hearts. Together we will learn that

who Jesus is changes everything.

Welcome back to a year in the Bible with daily grace. My name is Kristen Schmucker and we are

journeying through the New Testament and today we wrap up the book of

Colossians. As a reminder I'm using the Behold studies from the Daily

Grace Co as well as the free reading plan and you can find all that information in the show

notes. In the final chapter of the Book of Colossians, Paul continues to speak to

the Colossian Church about the way that believers should live. He has taught us about

our identity and our union with Christ, and now he reminds us that the people of God

should be a people marked by prayer.

Paul tells the Colossians to devote themselves to prayer, other translations say continue

steadfastly in prayer. This has the idea of persistence and that prayer should be a

defining mark of our lives. This should cause us to take a step back and

evaluate how we spend our days. Is prayer a central mark of our lives? Am I devoted to prayer? And if I am not devoted to prayer, what is it that I am

devoted to? We are told to be devoted to prayer, to be alert or watchful in it. When we pray we must expect God to work. We should

pray with confidence. This confidence is not in the eloquence of our prayers, but in the God that we pray too.

And Paul tells us that all of this should be done with a spirit of Thanksgiving.

We pray in gratitude for who God is and for what Jesus has done for us and then we wait for his good and perfect will, knowing that he will carry us through every moment of the waiting by his grace.

Paul tells the Colossians to pray for doors for the gospel to be opened and then to walk

in wisdom.

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