Colossians 4:2-4
2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. 3 Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. 4 Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.
Paul wrote the book of Colossians while in prison, but his encouragement for the Christians within Colosse to pray, isn’t focused on his circumstances, rather it’s all about others. His prayer is for opportunities to share the good news of Jesus. I hope this is our prayer also as we go into Sheffield. I pray that we get lots of opportunities to meet, chat to and invite people to get to know Jesus. Paul had an opportunity to talk to the jailers and guards as they were chained to him. I pray that we recognise opportunities when they arise. The circumstances were far from perfect. Why should the guards listen to the message of the prisoner? But Paul had confidence that if he shared what he knew of Jesus, then the Holy Spirit would work within the guards and bring transformation. If Paul waited for a perfect opportunity, then he would have been a far less successful church planter. I pray we take every opportunity presented to us, no matter of when and how they arise.
Paul also prays that he is able to communicate the gospel clearly. I pray for this also. Part of the mission statement of CLC is to build contemporary churches. I pray that we can use the cultural artifacts of the city of Sheffield in 2016, in order to connect with the people who live and work within the city and to make the timeless gospel message clear and understandable to them. The fundamental message never changes, but both Jesus and the Apostles used examples from everyday life in order to make the truth of the gospel clear to all. I pray that we can do the same today, not weakening anything but enabling people to connect with the message no matter what their background.
Finally, I pray that no matter who we are in conversation with, grace always permeates through our words. Grace in conversation is tricky to fully describe, but you know when you see and feel it. I pray that we are demonstrating love, forgiveness, encouragement and generosity and that the words we say to others, bring life and goodness.
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