Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
Picture this.
You have just finished your morning prayer in which you have prayed, “Thank you Lord for this day.
Help me to be your servant.
Amen.”
The phone rings and it is that noisy neighbor that is always bugging you.
You recognize the number and tell yourself you will talk with them later.
You go to the store as you need a few things for the day.
You hear a small child pitching a fit in the cereal aisle.
You see a very weary mom trying to keep calm but the child screams louder and louder.
You choose another aisle to be on.
You get to the checkout line and since you only have a few items, you go to the 12 or less line only to find a person in front of you with definitely more than 12 items.
The old man that is checking out looks very lonely.
You wonder if he has any family around.
You finally checkout and go to your car.
In the parking lot, you see a car that reminds you of someone that hasn’t been in church in a while.
You wonder where they are.
You go run a few more errands and get busy into your day.
You see that couple sitting on the corner again with a sign that says, “Please help.”
You wonder why they don’t have a job.
Work happens.
Life happens.
At the end of the day, you prepare for bed as you are tired and physically spent from your day.
You lay down on your bed and you think about the day.
you pray, “Thank you Lord for this day.
Help me rest so I can be your servant.
Amen.”
The dictionary defines “opportunity” as “a favorable or advantageous circumstance or combination of circumstances.”
Paul in his letter to the Colossians, used a phrase that said “make the most of every opportunity.”
So how does one make the most of every opportunity?
The illustration we opened with had at least a half dozen or more opportunities.
If we look closely at our on lives, how often is this portrayed?
Yet we are instructed to make the most of every opportunity, not just few.
How are you doing with your opportunities?
Paul has given us in this passage several practical, fundamental steps to help us make the most of every opportunity.
Colossians 4:2-
Devote Yourselves to Prayer (4:2)
Paul shows here that first and foremost that his readers should devote themselves to prayer.
Prayer is as vital to one’s spiritual well being as breathing is to one’s physical well being.
It is a faithful act.
We see prayer mentioned as a discipline throughout the Bible.
It is a command for self-preparedness.
It is the theme for a life of holiness.
Intercessory prayer was a characteristic of the early Christian.
We see in that they were all joined together constantly in prayer.
In , they were devoted to prayer.
In , they were called to give attention to prayer.
In , there is instruction to be faithful in prayer.
The disciples, apostles and early Christians kept the main thing the main thing.
Jesus shared with His disciples to always pray and never give up.
We see that evidenced in at the beginning of the parable of the persistent widow.
Paul’s example was to practice a mature prayer life.
He prescribed it for all who would call themselves a Christian or Christ follower.
How is your prayer life?
We have seen in simply to “pray continually.”
Ephesians
says to “devote yourselves to prayer.”
What does it mean to devote yourselves to prayer?
Devote means to attend constantly, to persist.
The Greek word PROSKARTEREO means to be earnest towards.
The word prayer in this context means “earnestly; an oratory; prayed earnestly.”
It also can mean a set place in which prayer happens.
What kind of pray-er are you?
Are you one that recites the same thing over and over again to check it off of your list?
Or are you one that recognized your prayer is like incense and an act of worship?
Psalm 1
Warren Weirsbe wrote, “If there is no fire on the altar, the incense will not rise to God.”
Real praying requires spiritual energy and the ability to to be alert.
This can
As you pray, we are told to be watchful and thankful.
To be watchful means that you are alert and fully awake.
It comes from the idea of guard duty.
However, it comes with a sense of expectancy.
We should watch and be alert for the return of Christ.
1 Thessalonians
We are to watch and be alert to live for Christ.
Ephesians
We are to watch and be alert to recognize that which is not of Christ.
Mark 14:
Matthew
Not only are we to be watchful, we are to be thankful.
The Greek word used here is EUCHARISTIA.
It means thankfulness and gratitude.
We have this idea repeated throughout Colossians.
Colossians
Being thankful provides a beautiful balance to being watchful by showing we can keep alert not in fear, but in confidence that we can trust God to act according to His Word.
Thanksgiving is a very important part of prayer.
We are to be devoted to prayer, and we are to discern how we can best pray.
Discern How You Can Best Pray (4:3-4)
Maybe you don’t know how or what to pray.
Paul gives the directive to pray “for us.”
In this context, us is Paul and Timothy.
We see that in the very beginning of this book in .
Is this a greedy prayer request?
By no means!
It is a prayer request that is modeled through out the New Testament.
gives us a prayer for words to proclaim the Gospel.
Hebrews
Paul is challenging the Colossians to recognize the need to beyond generalities and to be specific in prayer.
Praying specifically provides a greater opportunity to see the hand of God work and we will be able to recognize what He has done.
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