The Essentiality of an Internal and an External Life
“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Colossians 4:2-6 (KJV)
“Getting to Know You" is a show tune from the 1951 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I. In the show, Anna, a British schoolteacher who has been employed as a governess, sings the song as she endeavors to engage an inviting and affectionate relationship with the children and the wives of the King of Siam. In the opening verse of the song she sings:
Getting to know you
Getting to know all about you
Getting to like you
Getting to hope you like me
Getting to know you
Putting it my way but nicely
You are precisely
My cup of tea
It obviously to any listener that the lyrics lead us to several objectives of the singer:
1. I am initiating a relationship with you,
2. I am very interested in you,
3. By discovering your interest I am demonstrating that you are significant, and
4. I hope you will be interested in me.
As Christians we understand that we are in a relationship with someone who exceedingly eclipses our expectations.
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Ephesians 3:20
(KJV)
And although He is eternal, omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent, He is very interested in us!
I don’t know about you but coming to terms conceptually that God is interested in me, a sinner saved by grace, vaporizes me! In others words it extremely overwhelms me!!
In Colossians 4:2-6 Paul points out to us that God is interested in our personal prayer life, what I see as our internal life as well as our interaction with the world or we can call our external or public life. So He is interested in what is said in our prayer closet and what we promote in the public street.
For the purpose of getting to know our God we will consider 3 principles to practice that will promote intimacy with God as well as influence those that are outside a relationship with God.
1. Watch and pray.
2. Walk in wisdom
3. Have godly speech.
“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving”
The ancient Greek word translated as continue means "built on a root meaning 'to be strong,' it directs us to earnest duty, to a person or thing.” Paul not only practiced a proficient and persistent prayer life but he also promoted prayer for all believers.
“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV)
He encouraged believers to devote themselves to prayer. Paul practiced what he preached when it came to prayer and he realized how it is vital to one’s spiritual strength and health. Prayer shares a similar relationship to our spiritual life as breathing is to one’s physical health. Both prayer and breathing should be non-stop.
When we pray we should also be watchful, that is alert and aware against spiritual drowsiness that may develop because of one’s attachment to the world. The Word of God reminds us to be watchful because even if our intentions are honorable our flesh /human weakness will walk us in the wrong direction. As a matter of fact, our Lord Jesus warned us about the will of the flesh and how it will circumvent the call and will of God in our lives.
“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 (KJV)
Join me again next week as we continue to visit what God is interested in. Is there enough of an internal witness and external witness to indicate that you want Him in your life?
For the Glory of God,
PBKSR