Prayer and Thanksgiving- all year long!

As I was studying the third verse of Colossians, I began to ponder these things....giving thanks, praying always, thinking of others, some of the foundational aspects of the Christian life, but often the hardest to grasp. I hope my notes make sense here, and that this verse impacts your life as much as it has mine.

• Col 1:3 ¶ We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

• WE give thanks. Not others, not some, but we. We take the time to thank the Lord for other Christians. Can I say the same?

• We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul and Timotheus knew Who deserved the thanks and praise, and did not withhold it. It could have been so easy for Paul to gloat over “his converts”, but he was humble enough to know that it was only through Christ that any good came from his labours.

• Thanks to God- Paul was a man with a hard life. And yet he took the time to thank God. My life is comparatively quite easy. Yet how often do I simply take time to thank the Lord?

• We give- something that takes time, effort, and thought. Praise and thanksgiving isn't just a fun time. It's work. And it is a gift, both to the one praising and to the one being praised.

• Praying always for you.

• Praying- do I take enough time to pray with my Saviour?

• Praying- do I fervently ask, or do I ask once and move on?

• Always- do I pray, even when I don't “feel” like it?

• Always- even when I “don't have time” ?

• Always-am I consistent and faithful in my prayer life?

• Always-constantly? Consistently? Without ceasing?

• For you- do I pray for other Christians as I should?

• For you- are my prayers selfish, or are they prayers for others?

• For you- do I pray for other Christians even when I'm upset with them? When I disagree with them? When they hurt me?

• For you- do I pray for others for their benefit, expecting nothing back? Or do I pray for them that I might be rewarded for my own sake?

• For you- do my prayers truly embrace the needs of others? Or only what I want to pray for?