Everyday Faithfulness (Colossians 4:2–6)

Big Idea: We have a responsibility to pray persistently, live wisely, and speak graciously so that our lives and words reflect Christ, and others come to experience his transforming grace.

We’re in this small series on what it means to be the church. Specifically, we’re looking at some of the commitments we’ve made in our covenant. And there's a lot there.

At first glance, you may think that becoming a Christian is a private matter. You may think that it’s primarily about making a commitment to God, and that’s certainly true. But there’s more to it. Becoming a Christian also means making commitments to one another. God doesn’t just save us in isolation; he saves us into a family. When we come to Christ, we’re not just reconciled to God, but also joined to his people. Salvation is deeply personal, but it’s never private. It’s relational. God adopts us into his household, making us brothers and sisters with others who belong to Christ.

This means that Christianity isn’t just about “me and God.” It’s about “us and God.” The gospel creates a new community where we belong to one another, where we share life, and where we commit to love, serve, and grow together. This family isn’t perfect. It’s messy, inconvenient, and sometimes challenging. But it’s also one of the greatest blessings of the gospel. In the church, we find people who will walk with us, pray for us, encourage us, and even lovingly correct us when needed. We’re not meant to navigate faith alone. God designed us to thrive in community, where we can experience his grace through the lives of others and display his glory together.

If that wasn’t enough, there’s another level too. Being transformed by the grace of Jesus involves not only a commitment to God and a commitment to his people. It also involves a new way of living in the world. Our faith in Jesus doesn’t just change how we relate to God and each other; it changes how we live in the world.

That’s what we see in the passage we just read. Paul writes a group of Christians about how they can influence the world. That’s what God has called us to as a church: not just to commit to Christ; not just to commit to each other; but to play our role in the spread of the gospel.

To paraphrase Dick Lucas, this passage provides a practical answer to the question: What can an ordinary group of believers do to ensure that outsiders hear about Christ? It assumes that the church is committed to proclaiming the saving message both in word and in action, while recognizing that only a small number of individual Christians are specifically called to preach. It also highlights three ways our faith reshapes how we live together as a church, so that we can effectively point others to Christ.

Paul gives us three actions. Here’s the first.

Pray strategically (4:2-4)

The place to begin in representing Jesus to the world is with prayer.

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

Paul tells us how to pray and what to pray.

How to pray strategically

How should we pray? Persistently, watchfully, and thankfully.

• Pray persistently: “Continue steadfastly in prayer…” Make prayer a non-negotiable habit. Commit yourself to it. Let it become a regular rhythm of your life. Prayer is so central to God’s purposes for the universe and for us that Scripture repeatedly calls us to devote ourselves to it. Build prayer into the fabric of your days. Persevere in it. Don’t quit when it feels hard or fruitless. Treat prayer as the vital, life-giving practice it is. Pray with unyielding persistence, knowing that it truly matters.
• Pray watchfully: “Being watchful in it…” We must stay alert in prayer because our natural tendency is to drift away from it without even noticing. Satan knows the power of prayer and will do everything he can to distract and discourage us. He’ll fill our lives with trivialities, convincing us that other things are more urgent. If we’re not watchful, we’ll grow careless, leaving ourselves vulnerable and spiritually unprepared. That’s why vigilance in prayer is essential. It keeps us grounded, focused, and ready to stand firm.
• Pray thankfully: “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” Don’t approach prayer with panic or fear. Pray with gratitude, knowing that God is sovereign. The battle continues, but the victory is already secured. We don’t need to pray with clenched teeth or anxious hearts, we can pray with thanksgiving, resting in the assurance of God’s control as we navigate life in this world.

That’s how we should pray: persistently, because prayer is vital, watchfully, because distractions and spiritual drift are real, and thankfully, because God is sovereign and the victory is already won.

What to pray

What should we pray?

At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

What should we pray? Paul highlights three key areas in verses 3 and 4:

• Pray for those who proclaim the gospel. Some are gifted evangelists, while others are faithful, everyday witnesses. Pray for those specifically called to evangelism, even if you’re just an ordinary believer sharing the gospel yourself. Lift up those in our church and beyond who are particularly tasked with proclaiming the good news. Their role is vital, and they need our prayers.
• Pray for open doors. Paul, writing from prison, doesn’t ask for personal freedom but for opportunities for the gospel to advance. Pray that God would open doors for his message to reach hearts, even in the most unlikely places. Ask him to create gospel opportunities for those who are proclaiming the gospel.
• Pray for clarity. Paul asks for prayer that he would communicate the gospel clearly and effectively. This includes explaining who God is, humanity’s problem, Christ’s incarnation, death, resurrection, and his call to repentance and faith. These truths aren’t naturally understood, so pray for clarity in sharing them. Paul’s request reminds us that even the most seasoned evangelists rely on God’s help to make the gospel plain.

What can an ordinary group of believers do to ensure that outsiders hear about Christ? Pray. Pray persistently to fuel God's mission, stay watchful to avoid distractions, and pray with gratitude, trusting in God's sovereignty for the outcome. Pray for gospel messengers to find open doors and to speak with compelling clarity, illuminating the life-changing truth of Christ.

Prayer is central to the advance of the gospel.

To Paul, prayer is not simply an act of presenting one’s personal wishes and desires to God; rather, it is a way for believers to participate in the unfolding of God’s redemptive plan in history. (David Pao)

Prayer is central to the purposes of God, because God loves to be asked. John Piper says, “God, the Creator of the Universe, who holds our life in his hands and rules the world, is the kind of God who loves to be asked for things.”

If we want to make a difference in the world, prayer is essential. It’s not wasted time. It’s not it’s not just about how we live. It’s about speaking to God, asking him to advance the gospel and transform lives. Prayer is central to the mission of God.

There’s a second way we can live to point others to Christ.

Live wisely (4:5)

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.

Walk in wisdom. How should you live your life among unbelievers? Wisely. This is the challenge for every one of us as we go into the world and interact with people who don’t know Christ and may even be suspicious of our commitment to him. To walk wisely means, as John Piper says:

…knowing what to do for the glory of God when the rule book runs out. It’s knowing how to become all things to all men without compromising holiness and truth. It is creativity and tact and thoughtfulness. It’s having a feel for the moment, and having an eye for what people need and want.

You can see why we need prayer!

Not only that, but Paul says to make the best use of our time. God will give each of us opportunities for witness, and when they come, we should make the most of them while they last.

Live differently that people will ask questions. They will see something different about us, that our priorities are different. Live a life that will evoke questions. Use every moment you have to live this way.

Living wisely means being intentional and thoughtful in how we interact with unbelievers, letting our lives reflect Christ in practical ways. For example:

• At work, show integrity by being honest, dependable, and kind, even in challenging situations.
• In your neighborhood, take time to build relationships—invite a neighbor for coffee or offer help when they’re in need.
• In conversations, listen well, ask meaningful questions, and speak with grace, avoiding defensiveness or arrogance.

Use every moment to live in a way that sparks curiosity about your faith. Let your priorities, actions, and words point to Christ.

Make a difference in the world by praying, and by living wisely, making the most of every opportunity to live and speak in a way that reflects the beauty of the gospel and draws others to Christ.

But there’s one more thing we can besides prayer and wise living.

Speak graciously (4:6).

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

There’s a question of interpretation in verse 6. The verse says something like this: “Let your speech always be filled with grace.”

Scholars debate what Paul means here. It’s possible that Paul is saying that our word (the gospel) should be full of God’s grace — in other words, that we look for ways to proclaim God’s message of grace as much as possible. Or it could be that Paul is simply saying that our everyday conversation be gracious as possible.

We’re not going to solve that one, but I also think both contain some wisdom for us. Look for ways to share the gospel. But do so in a way that you listen and you’re ready to answer people’s questions. We don’t need to have all the answers. We just need to be ready to speak in a way that adorns the gospel and shows love to the people around us.

Let me put this together. Here’s what this passage teaches us. We have a responsibility to pray persistently, live wisely, and speak graciously so that our lives and words reflect Christ, and others come to experience his transforming grace.

Being part of the church is one of the greatest blessings of the gospel. God doesn’t just save us in isolation; he saves us into a family: a community where we belong to one another, share life, and grow together. The church may be imperfect and messy, but it's where we experience God's grace through others and showcase his glory in unity.

But this blessing isn’t just for us, it’s for the world. Together, we’re called to be a witness to Christ. This means praying persistently for open doors and clarity in sharing the gospel, living wisely so our lives spark curiosity about our faith, and speaking graciously to point others to Jesus. Our collective witness—through prayer, integrity, and love—shows the world the beauty of the gospel and invites them to experience the hope we’ve found in Christ. When we live this way, the church becomes a light in the darkness, a community that can’t be explained apart from God.

That’s part of our covenant together. That’s why our church covenant includes commitments like: maintaining family and private devotions, biblically educating our children, seeking the salvation of family and friends, zealously advancing Christ’s kingdom, living with integrity, avoiding evil, and being honest and faithful in all our dealings. These aren’t just ideals. They’re practical ways to live out the gospel in every area of life.

Jesus didn’t just save us to live private, isolated lives. He saved us into a family, a community where we love, serve, and grow together. But this family isn’t just for us, it’s for the world. The gospel calls us to pray persistently, live wisely, and speak graciously so that others might see the beauty of Christ in us.

If you’ve never trusted in Jesus, know that He lived the perfect life you couldn’t live, died the death you deserved, and rose again to give you new life. Turn to him today.

And if you’re already part of God’s family, pray persistently, live wisely, and speak graciously so that our lives and words reflect Christ, and others come to experience his transforming grace.