OzThoughts Monday 21st September 2009.

OzThoughts Monday 21st September 2009.

[Admin notice: There was no OzThoughts this weekend as I was on the sick list.]


Colossians 4:2-6 (The Message)
Pray for Open Doors
Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude.
Don't forget to pray for us, that God will open doors for telling the mystery of Christ, even while I'm locked up in this jail.
Pray that every time I open my mouth I'll be able to make Christ plain as day to them.
Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don't miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity.
Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.
Today we can look at another modern version, the New Life Version:

Colossians 4:2-7 (New Life Version)

Some Things To Do

2 You must keep praying. Keep watching! Be thankful always.
3 As you pray, be sure to pray for us also. Pray that God will open the door for us to preach the Word. We want to tell the secret of Christ. And this is the reason I am in prison.
4 Pray that I will be able to preach so everyone can understand. This is the way I should speak.
5 Be wise in the way you live around those who are not Christians. Make good use of your time.
6 Speak with them in such a way they will want to listen to you. Do
not let your talk sound foolish. Know how to give the right answer to anyone.

I see two clear messages here in these passionate verses Paul wrote from prison. The first thing is to pray. What does god want of me today? It’s simple! We must keep praying!

What else does Paul say.is on the agenda for today and everyday? He suggests that we be wise and use our heads as we live among non-Christians. We can not avoid them. Paul tells us to be smart about the way we speak so they will want to listen to what we say.

I had better pray that God will help me to do that.

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, I am happy to come to you in prayer at anytime. It is great you are so willing to hear my prayers. Today, I need to mix with non-Christians, I pray that you will give me wisdom and the words to talk to them that can be used by you. Amen.




[Listen: Intrada on Regent Square, the hymn tune associated with these words:

http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_3446.mp3

God of grace and God of glory,
On thy people pour thy power;
Now fulfil thy Church's story,
Bring her bud to glorious flower.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
For the facing of this hour.

Lo, the hosts of evil round us
Scorn thy Christ, assail his ways;
From the fears that long have bound us
Free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
For the living of these days.

Cure thy children's warring madness,
Bend our pride to thy control;
Shame our wanton, selfish gladness,
Rich in goods and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Lest we miss thy Kingdom's goal.

Set our feet on lofty places,
Gird our lives that they may be
Armoured with all Christlike graces
In the fight to set men free.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
That we fail not man nor thee..
Authors: Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 577

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