Attitude!

Attitude!

Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer [life], being [both] alert and intent in [your praying] with thanksgiving.

Colossians 4:2 AMPC

This is a charge for all who are called saints and faithful brethren in Christ. It is not for those who claim to be or who people say they are, but who are known by Christ to belong to Him. The first question to always settle, when it comes to the things God commands, is the issue of identity. We pretend to be what we are not, or we seek to hide our true allegiance, and we wonder why the world around us is the way it is. If God cannot count on my total allegiance and continued devotion, how does He commit lives into my hands? Before you claim the blessings, be sure you are aligned with the conditions. 

And then the command comes: be earnest and persistent in prayer. It is not a one-off; or something done out of compulsion or necessity, but a lifestyle choice that reflects an understanding of its importance, relevance and benefit. If I know who I am praying to, and understand His power, might and influence, I would do it more often. Could it be that the reason why we do not pray as much as we should is because we have not ourselves experienced the blessings and power that it offers? 

Even while I am praying, I am charged to be alert and intent in my prayer. I cannot be so caught up in prayer that I am not sensitive to what actions he wants me to carry out. If all I do is close my eyes and pray, how do I know when the prayers have been answered or what actions are the necessary consequences of my faith in God? The other extreme is also dangerous, where I just watch carefully for signs that things are about to change, do not pray at all, and base my actions and decisions on such uncertain terms, expecting that by some miracle, things wil work out well. Yes, things may 'work out well' but how would you know that what you got was God's perfect will and not the manifestation of your own manipulation? 

And finally thanksgiving. This is so important to the understanding of who God is. It is the attitude that says: I know God and I am certain that He is in control. So, I will praise Him, no matter what the external circumstances may be, because I know all things work together for my good. I thank God because I have the confidence that He is able to change the course of history for my sake. I am also sure that even if I don't get what I want, it doesn't remove the fact that God remains God. So, I thank God, simply because of who He is, and for what I am in Him. I am simply because He is. So, what's your position? His time of favour is here.