8/19 - Colossians 4, part 2

This morning the word of God spoke to me from Colossians 4:2 about something I've been slacking on,

"Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving"(NKJV)
"Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving" (KJV)

I've been struggling recently trying not to fall asleep during my morning prayer. I'll fade in and out in a battle to just have a conversation with the Lord. He seems to be the only one I do this with, which is a pretty convicting thought. I added the KJV version of this verse because this was the order that I read them this morning and came to learn that that word "watch" in Greek means "stay awake; vigilant." The literal translation of the verse means "continue in prayer and stay awake while doing it!" We know from Matthew 26:41 that Jesus told his disciples to be careful of this very thing and their subsequent failure to do so. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is so weak. Can I get an "Amen" from the balcony?! I sincerely want to be vigilant in prayer but often fall short. I know there's some practical things I can do to get better though.

This verse even goes beyond it's literal translation to mean that we should be persistent & staying alert for specific things to pray rather than just the general "God please bless so-and-so" prayers. Being alert also means being aware of the needs of your friends, co-workers, country or whatever you may be praying for. So the full embodiment of my prayer life is no longer just the time I spend in actual prayer, it's how soon I go to bed & what I expose myself to. I say what I expose myself to meaning asking friends what they need prayer for, being aware of what's happening in our country and having meaningful conversations with people so our prayers turn from "God bless this country or God bless John" to "God guide our leaders what to do concerning healthcare and God be with John as he goes through surgery tomorrow." I also say what I expose myself to because, just to be honest with you guys, when I pray other thoughts pass through my mind no matter how hard I try not to let them. So I'm realizing this morning that prayer, for me, needs to become integrated with my life, not just part of it.