BE VIGILANT AND THANKFUL
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchfulG1127 and thankful, as you pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may declare it clearly, as I should.
Colossians 4:2-4 (BSB)
G1127 grēgŏrĕuō– to keep awake, i.e. watch (lit. or fig.): – be vigilant, wake, (be) watch (-ful).
Strong, James, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, G1127
VIG’ILANT, adjective [Latin vigilans.] Watchful; circumspect; attentive to discover and avoid danger, or to provide for safety.
Webster, Noah, The American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828, definition of “vigilant”.
Paul asked the church at Colossae to intercede on his behalf and for his ministry. When I (Susan) was on ventilator due to IV pain meds for chronic kidney stones causing me to become unresponsive and unable to breathe well enough, I had an entire conversation with God in my head. I guess He went to an extreme to keep me from interrupting what He had to say to me. He asked me who did I believe the most underserved part of His body to be. I gave my best guesses—children, the elderly, or the disabled. He said, “No. The most underserved people in the body of Christ are my shepherds and others in ministry.” When I was able to speak again, I asked my mom to write down what the Lord had revealed to me so that it would remain clear in my heart and mind. I am thankful the Lord used the horrible experience of being on vent for three weeks to make clear to me what one aspect of my own ministry was to be. For this reason, one stated purpose of Precious Jewels Ministries is to intercede for and encourage other people in ministry. It is our privilege to pray for pastors, missionaries, evangelists, and others who are called to serve the Lord as their vocation. Their job is to equip us for ministry and our job is to intercede for them:
And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:11-12
You may not be called to full-time vocational ministry yourself. However, you can play a vital role in the ministries of your pastors and other ministers you know (including us). You can intentionally, vigilantly, intercede for them while thanking the Lord for what He has done, is doing, and will do through them and through you.
Father, we thank You for the privilege of prayer. We pray for those who will read this book that You would reveal Yourself to them through answered prayer. Help them find the joy of interceding for others. Help us to continue to be watchful and thankful in prayer.