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The Believer And Prayers (Colossians 4:2)
I. Always Be Prayerful
II. Always Be Watchful
III. Always Be Thankful
I greet all of you in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our text for today's message is taken from Colossians 4 verse two.
Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving.
As a Christian, the believer is a new man in Christ.
The word man is in a generic sense which includes women as well.
And as a new man in Christ, we have learned from our previous messages that the woman must submit to her own husband and the man must love his wife as Christ loved the church.
And the child must obey his parents.
The servant must obey his master in all things. And the master must be just and equal.
In other words, if we say we are believers, then there must be evidence of this new man in Christ.
Colossians 4:2–6 is about this life, this new man.
And basically there are four parts. The believer and prayers, the believer and the gospel, the believer and his conduct, the believer and his speech.
Today we will only focus on the first part, the believer and prayers, which is the title of our message.
Our first point is always be prayerful.
Look at the beginning of verse two. Continue in prayer.
Prayer is extremely important because it is necessary for the salvation of a person.
No man or woman should expect to be saved if he or she does not pray.
We all believe in salvation by grace through faith. We ought to preach, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”
But nowhere in the Holy Scriptures is it stated that a man can have salvation without asking for it.
No man can receive the pardon of his sins unless he lifts up his heart and prays, “Lord, forgive me of all my sins.” Each one must repent for himself.
Each one must submit to Christ for himself.
And each one must come before God and pray.
You must do it for yourself. No one else can do it on your behalf.
Prayer is the means by which we communicate with God and to know him intimately.
It is the strength of our fellowship with the Lord.
It is the source of power against Satan and temptations.
Prayer is important because God has commanded us to do so.
God did not command us to sing without ceasing, preach without ceasing, give without ceasing, or work without ceasing.
But he did command us to pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
Not only ought we to pray, we ought to pray all the time.
And here Paul said, “Continue in prayer.” Which means be steadfast, endure, hold fast, and do not let go of your prayer life.
Like Jacob wrestled with God and said, “I will not let you go until you bless me.”
Like Moses who intervened again and again and again for the Israelites.
Like Abraham who prayed for Sodom.
Like the parable of the widow who demanded justice persistently from the unjust judge.
The Bible is filled with countless examples of brethren continuing in prayers.
The believer is a new man and this new man is prayerful.
We are to continue in prayer whether privately or publicly.
Most likely this is a reference to the public prayer gathering because it is only through the public prayer gathering that we can edify and encourage one another.
The church is to be a family of praying people.
Some people may question, if God knows all things, if he knows all my needs and desires even before I ask of him and he loves me with an everlasting love, why then should I pray?
Well, prayer is God's ordained means whereby we receive what we ask from him.
To continue in prayer also means always, at all times, at every opportunity and in every season.
So you and I must live every day of our lives with this awareness that God hears and answers our prayers.
Hebrews 11:6 says, “God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
When do people often pray?
Most people will pray in the church.
They will give thanks before eating a meal.
Other than that, the only time they pray is when things go bad for them.
It is not wrong to pray in difficult times.
While it is true that God may allow those things to happen in our lives so that we will pray.
But the command to continue in prayer means that all situations of life should draw forth prayers from us.
As I often said, if we are happy, we express our happiness to God.
If we are afflicted, we commit our afflictions to him.
We should pray while at work.
We should pray when we go for our vacations.
We should pray when we are with our friends.
When we experience something good and wonderful, we immediately give thanks to the Lord.
When we meet someone who does not know Jesus Christ, we pray that God will be merciful to draw that person to himself and use us as a faithful witness.
There should be no situations in life from which God does not hear from us.
If you have a child and he only comes to you when he needs your help. “Daddy, mommy, I need your help. I need your money.” Other than that, he does not speak to you.
You will be most sad, right?
How much more a child of God bought by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And he only looks to God like an ATM machine.
To continue in prayer means to persevere in our prayers.
And if God has commanded us to persevere in our prayers and to pray without ceasing, to continue in prayer, then he must have a sovereign purpose in our persistence.
I believe I have shared in the past the testimony of George Müller, but that is a wonderful example.
He was well known for his love for the orphans.
It has been said that he had cared for more than 10,000 orphans throughout his lifetime.
He was also a man of prayers.
Once George Müller prayed for the conversions of his two friends. For 50 years he was praying for their salvation.
Someone asked him, “Do you take such a long time to pray for the salvation of your friends? They have not come to know God. You should have given up.”
Then George Müller answered and said, “Do you think God would have kept me praying all these 50 years if he did not intend to save them?”
True enough, both men were converted, one shortly before George Müller died and the other after his death.
Perhaps you have always been praying for the salvation of your unbelieving loved ones.
You have been sharing the gospel with them.
They have rejected you time and again.
You are disappointed and disheartened. Please do not give up.
Press on and obey this command. Continue in prayer.
God has a sovereign purpose in your persistence.
Our second point is always be watchful.
Continue in prayer and watch in the same. The phrase “in the same” refers to the context of prayer.
Just as we are always prayerful, we are always watchful.
The only time we are able to pray is when we are awake and alert, right? It is impossible to pray while we are sleeping.
In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said to his disciples, “Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41.
It is not only physical sleeping that is the problem.
Most of the time we are spiritually sleeping, as in we do not discern the times.
We do not understand the situations.
We do not comprehend the seriousness of the temptations.
So we do not pray as we ought to.
At other times we do not even know what we are praying.
Our prayers are so vague and general.
So in reality we are not asking for anything specific.
How can we expect God to answer our prayers when we do not ask for anything specific?
To continue in prayers and be watchful means something we are concerned about, something we are watchful, we are aware of, we are awake and alert, and we want to pray.
In other words, what is the thing that we are particularly concerned about will also be the thing that will lead us to continue in prayer and be watchful.
If our parents are afflicted with a terminal illness, if we are in need of a job, if our children have gone astray, if our loved ones are still outside the kingdom of God, most certainly we would be engaged in those specific prayer items.
But we need to be mindful when we pray specific prayers, often it would also involve a cost.
When Jacob wrestled with God, it was not actually like a quiet time.
He walked away with a limp.
When we are concerned about the harvest field, as the Gospel of Luke 10:2 said, “The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”
When we pray such a prayer, we must be prepared that God may answer our prayer by sending us.
When we pray for the various ministries of the church, God may answer our prayer by using us to serve in those areas.
When we pray for the mission fields or mission works, God may answer our prayer by calling us to give of our resources.
Are we willing?
What the church needs today are men and women who not only are prayerful but also willing to take up the challenge if God calls.
We are to continue in prayer and be watchful because the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour.
Most Christians never get serious about prayers until a problem creeps into their lives or into the life of someone they love dearly.
Then they are inclined to pray intensely and persistently.
But that is exactly the way Christians should always pray, at all times, intensely and persistently.
When we are sensitive to the problems and the needs of others, especially believers, that will lead us to pray day and night.
Dear friend, do we only pray for physical needs?
What about spiritual needs?
Our greatest problems are always spiritual.
So our greatest prayer, whether for ourselves or for others, should be for spiritual strength and protection.
There is nothing wrong with bringing our physical needs before God.
But our greatest focus should be our spiritual needs, the forgiveness of sins, repentance, cleansing us, transforming our lives, for the believers to be strong in the Lord.
So you and I need to pray for our husbands and wives, our children, the brethren in the church, our leaders, our missionaries, and for all the other believers that they will be able to be victorious against the wiles of the devil.e
Today we live in a very prosperous society. Thanks be to God.
And it is not easy. Why do I say that?
Because many people look to the physical blessing rather than the spiritual blessing.
They have no or little concern for spiritual blessings.
They become so dependent on the physical resources that they see no need for spiritual resources.
We have our homes, our children, our marriages, our jobs. Everything seems well and good.
We are living as if we do not need God and prayer is unnecessary.
Dear friend, when we are not watchful, as in we are not aware of our real needs, it is like telling God, “I don't really sense my need for you.”
Then something drastic happens in our lives. Could be a medical condition.
Something that we do not have control of.
What do we do spontaneously? What do we do instinctively? Pray.
If we are true believers, if we know who God is, if we truly believe who is in control of all things, if we understand what God has done for us by sending his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to save us, we do not need a drastic situation to turn us to him.
And pray whether in sickness or in health, in joy or in sadness, in prosperity or in poverty.
In every situation, we commune with God who loves us with an everlasting love.
We must always be watchful. Our final point is always be thankful.
Look at the last phrase, with thanksgiving. We are a forgetful people.
Often times we forget all the spiritual blessings, the privileges that God has given to us.
The forgiveness of our sins, his salvation, his provision, his protection, his promises, his healing hands, his presence in our lives and so forth.
We forget how God has answered our prayers.
Like the 10 lepers, only one returned to give thanks.
In most churches, when you have about one-third of the congregation coming together for a weekly prayer meeting, people are ecstatic.
As a church, as a family, as an individual, God has answered our prayers.
But how many would remember him? We are not even talking about serving him.
Just remembering God, how many will remember him?
May the Lord forgive us.
The moment we do not get what we want, we murmur and complain.
How ungrateful.
No wonder someone said gratitude has the shortest memory.
And in this context, it is so true.
The Apostle Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:17–18, “Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
“In everything” means in all circumstances because we believe that nothing happens by chance or coincidence but by God's providence.
Providence is the means by which God directs all things, controls all things according to his sovereign purpose.
As Ephesians 1:11 says, “According to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.”
You may be thinking, “Well, that is a very high standard. Always be prayerful. Always be watchful. Always be thankful.”
The Apostle Paul said, “This is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
God will never give us a command that you and I cannot achieve or attain.
When we humble ourselves, when we submit our lives to Christ and when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, it is possible.
For it is God's will that all believers should live such a life.
Be prayerful, be watchful, and be thankful in all circumstances.
Are you a thankful person?
Do you recognize that being thankful to God is his will for you?
When we talk about thankfulness, we know that people have all kinds of attitudes toward this matter of giving thanks.
Obviously, some people think it is totally unnecessary to give thanks.
They are unthankful simply because they believe they deserve the good things they have or they deserve even more.
A classic example in the Bible is the parable of the rich fool.
He was not only wealthy but he was also presumptuous about his future prosperity.
So much so that he was ungrateful about his past prosperity.
As he looked around, he realized that his land was so productive that he did not have enough room to store all his goods.
So he decided to build bigger barns.
After that he said to himself, “And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for thee. Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”
He did not take God into consideration.
He did not give any credit to the almighty God who had blessed him.
He saw no reason to give thanks.
And because of his ungratefulness, God said to him, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. Then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?”
The problem with the rich fool was not because of his wealth or his plans, but the fact that he did not recognize or acknowledge that he had no power in himself to produce the crops or protect the crops.
And he did not acknowledge that the almighty God was the one who had blessed him with such wealth.
But how many of us have behaved like the rich fool today? We may be enjoying the best of health. We may have great wealth.
We may have made some good investment plans.
We may have done well in our school examinations and excellence.
But we forget that God is the one who has given us the brain to absorb the lessons learned and a memory to remember what we have learned, and the health to do the test on that particular day.
Even the breath we have cometh from him.
So every morning when we wake up, the first thing we ought to do is thank God for this life.
Even for the air that we breathe in.
Some people's attitude toward thanksgiving is that of ungratefulness.
On one occasion on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus healed the 10 lepers, but only one returned.
He fell down on his face and gave thanks to God. And he was a Samaritan.
He knew that he was helpless. He did not deserve to be healed.
It was entirely by the grace of God. So he returned and gave glory and honour to God.
His thankfulness was genuine.
That is why Jesus said, “Arise, go thy way. Thy faith hath made thee whole.”
But what happened to the other nine lepers?
They were just as helpless and undeserving.
Immediately after they were healed, they walked away and forgot that it was entirely by the grace of God.
It is a terrible sin when we do not acknowledge that the blessing we receive cometh from God.
That everything we are, everything we have is of God.
Life is filled with challenges and issues of all sorts.
Some of the challenges may be very painful.
Yet the Bible says, “In everything give thanks.”
To be thankful in everything is to acknowledge that my God is in control of everything in my life, in every situation, in every single detail.
He is my sovereign God. Allow me to share with you.
To me, it is an amazing situation.
This happened several years ago when I visited Myanmar on a mission trip.
I was alone. It was a Monday.
Often times in the past the Myanmar missionaries would be at the airport to fetch me.
But on that particular day when I arrived there was no one.
The airport, if you have been to Myanmar, was packed.
It was like a marketplace. I waited for an hour.
There was still no one there to fetch me. I could not speak a word of Burmese.
I only had Australian currency which the airport money changer did not accept.
With no one to help me, no money, not understanding a single word they spoke, nor could I speak, I was desperate.
I was starting to get frustrated and even disappointed.
I came all the way from Melbourne to Myanmar, yet no one was there.
So I could not do anything.
I went to one corner and I started to pray, asking God for wisdom. What should I do next?
It was at that point that I looked up and I saw Reverend Lean Uk together with his daughter looking at the signboard with all the arrival flights.
I was so happy. I called out to him and said, “Reverend Lean Uk, I'm here. I've been here for three hours already.”
He was even more shocked to see me and he said this to me.
“You sent us an email and you mentioned that your arrival is on Tuesday. Today is Monday. Why are you here?”
Then I realized that I made a mistake by sending the wrong date.
But the question is, why was he there?
So I threw back the next question to him. “Then why are you here?”
To my surprise, he said, “I'm here to fetch someone else, and I came to the wrong airport.”
Can you imagine? For me to send an email with the wrong date, for him to come and fetch his friend, which happened to be the same day, and going to the wrong airport.
And at that little corner, I found him.
Some people may say it is just a series of coincidences.
There is no such thing as coincidence or good luck.
It is by God's providence.
And because, remember, I was so desperate, I had to just pray.
And God opened my eyes and by his providence, Reverend Lean Uk was there to fetch me.
This is just how our almighty God works.
Some of us here may have gone through many trials in life. It can be some medical issues, financial difficulties, or other adverse situations, unforeseen circumstances.
How can we give thanks to God in such situations?
Do you realize that even in this matter of thanksgiving, it will reveal to us the different levels of our spiritual maturity?
Firstly, we can be thankful whenever we are blessed.
This is perhaps the easiest when things are going well.
When you have gotten a job, when you have found a life partner, when you are in good health and strength, you are happy and grateful. It is easy to give thanks to God.
It requires little spiritual maturity to give thanks at such times.
The second level of thanksgiving is slightly more difficult.
And it is to be thankful for the hope of blessing and victory yet to come.
Thanking God before a blessing comes is definitely more difficult than thanking him for the blessing you have received.
How many of our children will say to us, “Thank you, mummy and daddy, for the presents that you will give me next year”? None of them would do that.
To give thanks for something you have not received and are only anticipating to receive is surely more difficult.
It requires faith and hope because it involves something you have not seen nor experienced.
It takes certain spiritual maturity to believe that my God will answer my prayers according to his sovereign time and will.
The last level of thanksgiving is most difficult because it involves thanking God in the midst of troubles.
Even when we are still undergoing difficulties, even when it looks as if the whole world has collapsed on us, like losing someone we love dearly, yet we are still able to give thanks to God and accept that it is God's will to take my mum or my dad home to be with him.
That is most difficult.
Dear friend, if we can only give thanks to God when things are going well, it shows very little of our faithfulness.
If we can give thanks to God in anticipation of what he will do for us in the future, we show more spiritual maturity.
But to be able to thank God while we are in the midst of troubles, pain, tribulations, and persecutions, it shows a level of maturity that few Christians seem to know.
But that is what our almighty God wants of all his children.
He wants us to be spiritually complete, to be spiritually mature, to understand that he is sovereign and he has control over all things including our lives.
I'd like to end this message by drawing your attention to the word thanksgiving.
The original Greek word for thanksgiving is very interesting.
It comes from the term where we get the word Eucharist.
The Eucharist is used to refer to the Lord's Supper and it involves giving thanks for Christ's atoning death and the shedding of his precious blood on the cross of Calvary.
This morning, if you are overwhelmed with the loss of a loved one, if you are afflicted with pain that words cannot express, if you are troubled with some emotional and relationship struggles that no one can ever fathom, and you cried out, “How can I give thanks in such times like this?” Yes, you can.
When you think of the Eucharist, when you look to the cross and you remember that Jesus Christ came for you, he lived a perfect life on this earth because of you.
He died and shed his precious blood on the cross of Calvary, was buried, rose again from the dead in order to save you.
Then you know in your hearts, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
If God has given to me his precious beloved only begotten Son, will he not help me? Surely he will.
So the question is not, “How can I give thanks?” but rather, “How can I not give thanks?”
We do not know what is ahead of us in the future.
There may be death, sickness, pain, economic uncertainties, recession and so forth lurking just around the corner.
Such times may come.
But one thing we do know, our God, he alone is in control of all things.
And he has a sovereign purpose for the circumstances and situations of life.
So as we move forward, as we face the challenges and issues of life, this is the thing we must do.
Cultivate these three essential attitudes.
Always be prayerful, always be watchful, and always be thankful.
May the Lord help us that all of us will not only learn this truth but also apply this truth into our lives.
“Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving.”
Let us pray.
Father in heaven, we give thee thanks for this opportunity for us to consider Colossians 4:2 and to consider the life of the new man, the believer and prayers.
And as a believer, someone who trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, the new man is a prayerful man.
And we ought to always be prayerful and always be watchful and always be thankful.
And we pray that thou wilt continue to teach us that as we live our lives, may the Holy Spirit do his mighty and wonderful transforming work so that our lives will be changed, that we will live with all this evidence of the new man.
And we pray that thou wilt teach us in the weeks ahead, the believer and the gospel, the believer and his conduct, the believer and his speech, and we put all these things together and apply them into our lives to the glory of thee.
We pray all this in Jesus' name. Amen.
I greet all of you in the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Our text for today's message is taken from Colossians 4:2.
“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;”
As a Christian, the believer is a new man in Christ.
The word man is in a generic sense which includes women as well.
And as a new man in Christ, we have learned from our previous messages that the woman must submit to her own husband, and the man must love his wife as Christ loved the church.
And the child must obey his parents.
The servant must obey his master in all things. And the master must be just and equal.
In other words, if we say we are believers, then there must be evidence of this new man in Christ.
Colossians 4:2–6 is about this life, this new man.
And basically there are four parts: the believer and prayers, the believer and the gospel, the believer and his conduct, the believer and his speech.
Today we will only focus on the first part, the believer and prayers, which is the title of our message.
Our first point is always be prayerful.
Look at the beginning of verse two. Continue in prayer.
Prayer is extremely important because it is necessary for the salvation of a person.
No man or woman should expect to be saved if he or she does not pray.
We all believe in salvation by grace through faith. We ought to preach, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”
But nowhere in the Holy Scriptures is it stated that a man can have salvation without asking for it.
No man can receive the pardon of his sins unless he lifts up his heart and prays, “Lord, forgive me of all my sins.”
Each one must repent for himself.
Each one must submit to Christ for himself.
And each one must come before God and pray.
You must do it for yourself. No one else can do it on your behalf.
Prayer is the means by which we communicate with God and to know him intimately.
It is the strength of our fellowship with the Lord.
It is the source of power against Satan and temptations.
Prayer is important because God has commanded us to do so.
God did not command us to sing without ceasing, preach without ceasing, give without ceasing, or work without ceasing.
But he did command us to pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
Not only ought we to pray, we ought to pray all the time.
And here Paul said, “Continue in prayer.”
Which means be steadfast, endure, hold fast, and do not let go of your prayer life.
Like Jacob wrestled with God and said, “I will not let you go until you bless me.”
Like Moses who intervened again and again and again for the Israelites.
Like Abraham who prayed for Sodom.
Like the parable of the widow who demanded justice persistently from the unjust judge.
The Bible is filled with countless examples of brethren continuing in prayers.
The believer is a new man, and this new man is prayerful.
We are to continue in prayer whether privately or publicly.
Most likely this is a reference to the public prayer gathering because it is only through the public prayer gathering that we can edify and encourage one another.
The church is to be a family of praying people.
Some people may question, if God knows all things, if he knows all my needs and desires even before I ask of him, and he loves me with an everlasting love, why then should I pray?
Well, prayer is God's ordained means whereby we receive what we ask from him.
To continue in prayer also means always, at all times, at every opportunity, and in every season.
So you and I must live every day of our lives with this awareness that God hears and answers our prayers.
Hebrews 11:6 says, “God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
When do people often pray?
Most people will pray in the church.
They will give thanks before eating a meal.
Other than that, the only time they pray is when things go bad for them.
It is not wrong to pray in difficult times.
While it is true that God may allow those things to happen in our lives so that we will pray.
But the command to continue in prayer means that all situations of life should draw forth prayers from us.
As I often said, if we are happy, we express our happiness to God.
If we are afflicted, we commit our afflictions to him.
We should pray while at work.
We should pray when we go for our vacations.
We should pray when we are with our friends.
When we experience something good and wonderful, we immediately give thanks to the Lord.
When we meet someone who does not know Jesus Christ, we pray that God will be merciful to draw that person to himself and use us as a faithful witness.
There should be no situations in life from which God does not hear from us.
If you have a child and he only comes to you when he needs your help.
“Daddy, mommy, I need your help. I need your money.”
Other than that, he does not speak to you.
You will be most sad, right?
How much more a child of God bought by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And he only looks to God like an ATM machine.
To continue in prayer means to persevere in our prayers.
And if God has commanded us to persevere in our prayers and to pray without ceasing, to continue in prayer, then he must have a sovereign purpose in our persistence.
I believe I have shared in the past the testimony of George Müller, but that is a wonderful example.
He was well known for his love for the orphans.
It has been said that he had cared for more than 10,000 orphans throughout his lifetime.
He was also a man of prayers.
Once George Müller prayed for the conversions of his two friends.
For 50 years he was praying for their salvation.
Someone asked him, “Do you take such a long time to pray for the salvation of your friends? They have not come to know God. You should have given up.”
Then George Müller answered and said, “Do you think God would have kept me praying all these 50 years if he did not intend to save them?”
True enough, both men were converted, one shortly before George Müller died and the other after his death.
Perhaps you have always been praying for the salvation of your unbelieving loved ones.
You have been sharing the gospel with them.
They have rejected you time and again.
You are disappointed and disheartened.
Please do not give up.
Press on and obey this command. Continue in prayer.
God has a sovereign purpose in your persistence.
Our second point is always be watchful.
“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same.”
The phrase “in the same” refers to the context of prayer.
Just as we are always prayerful, we are always watchful.
The only time we are able to pray is when we are awake and alert, right?
It is impossible to pray while we are sleeping.
In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said to his disciples, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41.
It is not only physical sleeping that is the problem.
Most of the time we are spiritually sleeping, as in we do not discern the times.
We do not understand the situations.
We do not comprehend the seriousness of the temptations.
So we do not pray as we ought to.
At other times we do not even know what we are praying.
Our prayers are so vague and general.
So in reality we are not asking for anything specific.
How can we expect God to answer our prayers when we do not ask for anything specific?
To continue in prayers and be watchful means something we are concerned about, something we are watchful, we are aware of, we are awake and alert, and we want to pray.
In other words, what is the thing that we are particularly concerned about will also be the thing that will lead us to continue in prayer and be watchful.
If our parents are afflicted with a terminal illness, if we are in need of a job, if our children have gone astray, if our loved ones are still outside the kingdom of God, most certainly we would be engaged in those specific prayer items.
But we need to be mindful when we pray specific prayers, often it would also involve a cost.
When Jacob wrestled with God, it was not actually like a quiet time.
He walked away with a limp.
When we are concerned about the harvest field, as the Gospel of Luke 10:2 said, “The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”
When we pray such a prayer, we must be prepared that God may answer our prayer by sending us.
When we pray for the various ministries of the church, God may answer our prayer by using us to serve in those areas.
When we pray for the mission fields or mission works, God may answer our prayer by calling us to give of our resources.
Are we willing?
What the church needs today are men and women who not only are prayerful but also willing to take up the challenge if God calls.
We are to continue in prayer and be watchful because the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour.
Most Christians never get serious about prayers until a problem creeps into their lives or into the life of someone they love dearly.
Then they are inclined to pray intensely and persistently.
But that is exactly the way Christians should always pray, at all times, intensely and persistently.
When we are sensitive to the problems and the needs of others, especially believers, that will lead us to pray day and night.
Dear friend, do we only pray for physical needs?
What about spiritual needs?
Our greatest problems are always spiritual.
So our greatest prayer, whether for ourselves or for others, should be for spiritual strength and protection.
There is nothing wrong with bringing our physical needs before God.
But our greatest focus should be our spiritual needs, the forgiveness of sins, repentance, cleansing us, transforming our lives, for the believers to be strong in the Lord.
So you and I need to pray for our husbands and wives, our children, the brethren in the church, our leaders, our missionaries, and for all the other believers that they will be able to be victorious against the wiles of the devil.
Today we live in a very prosperous society. Thanks be to God.
And it is not easy. Why do I say that?
Because many people look to the physical blessing rather than the spiritual blessing.
They have no or little concern for spiritual blessings.
They become so dependent on the physical resources that they see no need for spiritual resources.
We have our homes, our children, our marriages, our jobs. Everything seems well and good.
We are living as if we do not need God and prayer is unnecessary.
Dear friend, when we are not watchful, as in we are not aware of our real needs, it is like telling God, “I don't really sense my need for you.”
Then something drastic happens in our lives. Could be a medical condition.
Something that we do not have control of.
What do we do spontaneously?
What do we do instinctively?
Pray.
If we are true believers, if we know who God is, if we truly believe who is in control of all things, if we understand what God has done for us by sending his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to save us, we do not need a drastic situation to turn us to him.
And pray whether in sickness or in health, in joy or in sadness, in prosperity or in poverty.
In every situation, we commune with God who loves us with an everlasting love.
We must always be watchful.
Our final point is always be thankful.
Look at the last phrase, with thanksgiving.
We are a forgetful people.
Often times we forget all the spiritual blessings, the privileges that God has given to us.
The forgiveness of our sins, his salvation, his provision, his protection, his promises, his healing hands, his presence in our lives, and so forth.
We forget how God has answered our prayers.
Like the 10 lepers, only one returned to give thanks.
In most churches, when you have about one-third of the congregation coming together for a weekly prayer meeting, people are ecstatic.
As a church, as a family, as an individual, God has answered our prayers.
But how many would remember him?
We are not even talking about serving him.
Just remembering God, how many will remember him?
May the Lord forgive us.
The moment we do not get what we want, we murmur and complain.
How ungrateful.
No wonder someone said gratitude has the shortest memory.
And in this context, it is so true.
The Apostle Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:17–18, “Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
“In everything” means in all circumstances because we believe that nothing happens by chance or coincidence but by God's providence.
Providence is the means by which God directs all things, controls all things according to his sovereign purpose.
As Ephesians 1:11 says, “According to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.”
You may be thinking, “Well, that is a very high standard. Always be prayerful. Always be watchful. Always be thankful.”
The Apostle Paul said, “This is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
God will never give us a command that you and I cannot achieve or attain.
When we humble ourselves, when we submit our lives to Christ, and when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, it is possible.
For it is God's will that all believers should live such a life.
Be prayerful, be watchful, and be thankful in all circumstances.
Are you a thankful person?
Do you recognize that being thankful to God is his will for you?
When we talk about thankfulness, we know that people have all kinds of attitudes toward this matter of giving thanks.
Obviously, some people think it is totally unnecessary to give thanks.
They are unthankful simply because they believe they deserve the good things they have or they deserve even more.
A classic example in the Bible is the parable of the rich fool.
He was not only wealthy but he was also presumptuous about his future prosperity.
So much so that he was ungrateful about his past prosperity.
As he looked around, he realized that his land was so productive that he did not have enough room to store all his goods.
So he decided to build bigger barns.
After that he said to himself, “And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for thee. Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”
He did not take God into consideration.
He did not give any credit to the almighty God who had blessed him.
He saw no reason to give thanks.
And because of his ungratefulness, God said to him, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. Then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?”
The problem with the rich fool was not because of his wealth or his plans, but the fact that he did not recognize or acknowledge that he had no power in himself to produce the crops or protect the crops.
And he did not acknowledge that the almighty God was the one who had blessed him with such wealth.
But how many of us have behaved like the rich fool today?
We may be enjoying the best of health.
We may have great wealth.
We may have made some good investment plans.
We may have done well in our school examinations and excellence.
But we forget that God is the one who has given us the brain to absorb the lessons learned and a memory to remember what we have learned, and the health to do the test on that particular day.
Even the breath we have cometh from him.
So every morning when we wake up, the first thing we ought to do is thank God for this life.
Even for the air that we breathe in.
Some people's attitude toward thanksgiving is that of ungratefulness.
On one occasion on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus healed the 10 lepers, but only one returned.
He fell down on his face and gave thanks to God. And he was a Samaritan.
He knew that he was helpless.
He did not deserve to be healed.
It was entirely by the grace of God.
So he returned and gave glory and honour to God.
His thankfulness was genuine.
That is why Jesus said, “Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.”
But what happened to the other nine lepers?
They were just as helpless and undeserving.
Immediately after they were healed, they walked away and forgot that it was entirely by the grace of God.
It is a terrible sin when we do not acknowledge that the blessing we receive cometh from God.
That everything we are, everything we have is of God.
Life is filled with challenges and issues of all sorts.
Some of the challenges may be very painful.
Yet the Bible says, “In every thing give thanks.”
To be thankful in everything is to acknowledge that my God is in control of everything in my life, in every situation, in every single detail.
He is my sovereign God.
Allow me to share with you.
To me, it is an amazing situation.
This happened several years ago when I visited Myanmar on a mission trip.
I was alone.
It was a Monday.
Often times in the past the Myanmar missionaries would be at the airport to fetch me.
But on that particular day when I arrived there was no one.
The airport, if you have been to Myanmar, was packed.
It was like a marketplace.
I waited for an hour.
There was still no one there to fetch me.
I could not speak a word of Burmese.
I only had Australian currency which the airport money changer did not accept.
With no one to help me, no money, not understanding a single word they spoke, nor could I speak, I was desperate.
I was starting to get frustrated and even disappointed.
I came all the way from Melbourne to Myanmar, yet no one was there.
So I could not do anything.
I went to one corner and I started to pray, asking God for wisdom.
What should I do next?
It was at that point that I looked up and I saw Reverend Lean Uk together with his daughter looking at the signboard with all the arrival flights.
I was so happy.
I called out to him and said, “Reverend Lean Uk, I'm here. I've been here for three hours already.”
He was even more shocked to see me and he said this to me.
“You sent us an email and you mentioned that your arrival is on Tuesday. Today is Monday. Why are you here?”
Then I realized that I made a mistake by sending the wrong date.
But the question is, why was he there?
So I threw back the next question to him.
“Then why are you here?”
To my surprise, he said, “I'm here to fetch someone else, and I came to the wrong airport.”
Can you imagine?
For me to send an email with the wrong date, for him to come and fetch his friend, which happened to be the same day, and going to the wrong airport.
And at that little corner, I found him.
Some people may say it is just a series of coincidences.
There is no such thing as coincidence or good luck.
It is by God's providence.
And because, remember, I was so desperate, I had to just pray.
And God opened my eyes and by his providence, Reverend Lean Uk was there to fetch me.
This is just how our almighty God works.
Some of us here may have gone through many trials in life.
It can be some medical issues, financial difficulties, or other adverse situations, unforeseen circumstances.
How can we give thanks to God in such situations?
Do you realize that even in this matter of thanksgiving, it will reveal to us the different levels of our spiritual maturity?
Firstly, we can be thankful whenever we are blessed.
This is perhaps the easiest when things are going well.
When you have gotten a job, when you have found a life partner, when you are in good health and strength, you are happy and grateful.
It is easy to give thanks to God.
It requires little spiritual maturity to give thanks at such times.
The second level of thanksgiving is slightly more difficult.
And it is to be thankful for the hope of blessing and victory yet to come.
Thanking God before a blessing comes is definitely more difficult than thanking him for the blessing you have received.
How many of our children will say to us, “Thank you, mummy and daddy, for the presents that you will give me next year”?
None of them would do that.
To give thanks for something you have not received and are only anticipating to receive is surely more difficult.
It requires faith and hope because it involves something you have not seen nor experienced.
It takes certain spiritual maturity to believe that my God will answer my prayers according to his sovereign time and will.
The last level of thanksgiving is most difficult because it involves thanking God in the midst of troubles.
Even when we are still undergoing difficulties, even when it looks as if the whole world has collapsed on us, like losing someone we love dearly, yet we are still able to give thanks to God and accept that it is God's will to take my mum or my dad home to be with him.
That is most difficult.
Dear friend, if we can only give thanks to God when things are going well, it shows very little of our faithfulness.
If we can give thanks to God in anticipation of what he will do for us in the future, we show more spiritual maturity.
But to be able to thank God while we are in the midst of troubles, pain, tribulations, and persecutions, it shows a level of maturity that few Christians seem to know.
But that is what our almighty God wants of all his children.
He wants us to be spiritually complete, to be spiritually mature, to understand that he is sovereign and he has control over all things including our lives.
I'd like to end this message by drawing your attention to the word thanksgiving.
The original Greek word for thanksgiving is very interesting.
It comes from the term where we get the word Eucharist.
The Eucharist is used to refer to the Lord's Supper and it involves giving thanks for Christ's atoning death and the shedding of his precious blood on the cross of Calvary.
This morning, if you are overwhelmed with the loss of a loved one, if you are afflicted with pain that words cannot express, if you are troubled with some emotional and relationship struggles that no one can ever fathom, and you cried out, “How can I give thanks in such times like this?”
Yes, you can.
When you think of the Eucharist, when you look to the cross and you remember that Jesus Christ came for you, he lived a perfect life on this earth because of you.
He died and shed his precious blood on the cross of Calvary, was buried, rose again from the dead in order to save you.
Then you know in your hearts, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
If God has given to me his precious beloved only begotten Son, will he not help me?
Surely he will.
So the question is not, “How can I give thanks?” but rather, “How can I not give thanks?”
We do not know what is ahead of us in the future.
There may be death, sickness, pain, economic uncertainties, recession, and so forth lurking just around the corner.
Such times may come.
But one thing we do know, our God, he alone is in control of all things.
And he has a sovereign purpose for the circumstances and situations of life.
So as we move forward, as we face the challenges and issues of life, this is the thing we must do.
Cultivate these three essential attitudes.
Always be prayerful, always be watchful, and always be thankful.
May the Lord help us that all of us will not only learn this truth but also apply this truth into our lives.
“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.”
Let us pray.
Father in heaven, we give thee thanks for this opportunity for us to consider Colossians 4:2 and to consider the life of the new man, the believer and prayers.
And as a believer, someone who trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, the new man is a prayerful man.
And we ought to always be prayerful and always be watchful and always be thankful.
And we pray that thou wilt continue to teach us that as we live our lives, may the Holy Spirit do his mighty and wonderful transforming work so that our lives will be changed, that we will live with all this evidence of the new man.
And we pray that thou wilt teach us in the weeks ahead, the believer and the gospel, the believer and his conduct, the believer and his speech, and we put all these things together and apply them into our lives to the glory of thee.
We pray all this in Jesus' name.
Amen.