Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Colossians 4:2
On our first vacation, we drove from Baltimore to Miami, Florida. And while most of the 2,300-mile trip has long been forgotten, there is a moment that lives in my memory like it was yesterday. We were in a 1956 Buick Special. It was the first new car ever owned by our family. It easily and safely took us wherever my dad pointed it. It didn’t have many of the things we take for granted. No seat belts. No cruise control. No air conditioning.
Even without these things that we now take for granted, it was an engineering marvel. It had a 322 cubic inch V8 engine with Dynaflow Transmission. This made the automatic shifting of gears very smooth. After visiting Miami, where I got a sunburn that would put a steamed lobster to shame, we headed home. And rather than going back up the east coast of Florida, we headed west. And the only road at the time to do that was called Alligator Alley.
Now Alligator Alley was famous for two reasons. As the name suggests, it was the first road built through the Florida Everglades and alligators were known to walk out onto the highway. While interesting, this wasn’t why dad chose this road. The more attractive part of US Route 41 was that it was flat and straight. The added bonus was that there was no speed limit. With no towns or police, this was the perfect spot to see what his car could do.
Without warning anyone, dad stomped on the gas and we were off. The roar of the engine was exciting as the speedometer climbed. 60. 70. 80. 90. Don and I were in the back seat, cheering dad on while my mom just stared at her husband who had this great big grin on his face. Faster and faster. The telephone polls went by faster and faster. 95. 99. 100. 103. 105. By now the car was shaking as Rita finally let out a scream. Chester let off the gas and we drifted back to 60 miles an hour.
In life, there are times to stomp on the gas. There can be good reasons to accelerate quickly. Heck, it’s even fun to “peel out” and “lay some rubber.” The rush of adrenaline is exciting and somewhat intoxicating.
So, what’s our prayer life to be? As we’ve all experienced, there are important reasons to “put the pedal to the metal” when it comes to prayer. To make a special, concentrated time of prayer. We especially see this when health problems pop up.
But when it comes to being watchful and thankful, we need a different kind of prayer life. Where prayer isn’t here today and gone tomorrow. It doesn’t come and go. It doesn’t speed up and then you slow down. No, when it comes to being watchful and thankful, we need a low and slow approach to prayer. A crockpot kind of prayer that’s constant and consistent. It’s the same hour after hour. Day after day. It’s devoted prayer.
When you’re devoted, you’re committed to it. Being devoted means that you’re going to do it all the time. You’re devoted to constantly and actively do it. There’s no letting up. No pausing. It’s the same all the time
Think about riding a bike. Once you start, you’re on the move. Once you start pedaling, you point the bike where you want to go. If you’re not continually balancing, pedaling, and going forward, then you’re not really riding.
When you go bowling, you’re bowling when the ball is in your hand. You walk forward and deliver the ball. You watch it roll it towards the pins. But after one or two balls, you stop bowling. You go and wait till it’s your next turn. You talk with friends. Eat some pizza. Drink a soda. But you’re not really bowling till it’s your turn again.
Devoted prayer is not exciting. It doesn’t get our juices flowing. It’s not going to draw a crowd. It’s not going to get a huge following on social media. But it could be the most important kind of prayer there is.
Your heart pushes blood throughout your body. It beats faster and harder when we need more power and energy. It slows down when we rest or sit down. But it’s always pumping. Without the constant work and movement of our heart, we die.
It’s the same way with devoted prayer.
· God wants us to be constantly watchful. On the lookout for his working in our lives. Noticing his loving compassion as we live each and every day. Watching out for the enemy and his sneaky attacks.
· God wants us to be constantly thankful. Observing how God meets our needs each and every day. Hearing his words of kindness and encouragement. Daily picking up on all the ways shows himself to us.
When it comes to being watchful and thankful, it’s not about stepping on the gas to go fast. Just the opposite, its about being devoted to the God who made us. Loves us. Died for us. Who’s coming again for us.
God is devoted to us. And in response, our desire to be devoted to him grows. It takes daily discipline to be constantly watching. To be constantly thankful. So, how devoted are you to this kind of prayer?
Noodling Questions
What were the circumstances when you stepped on the gas in your life?
Why do we hesitate to step on the gas in life?
Why is it hard to feel and know that God is devoted to us?
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