50 Days of Prayer for Fellowship CRC

Colossians 4:2 -  "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving."

I once visited a large church in Seoul, Korea on a Sunday morning.  I was given a tour before worship began; we walked past a classroom where many women were praying. “See those women?” my tour guide said. “They have been praying all night for the church.” Every Saturday night, a group of women gathered to pray all night for the upcoming Sunday of worship and ministry.  Now those women could teach us something about being devoted to prayer, about praying with thanksgiving, and about how to keep alert in prayer, as they prayed through the watches of the night.

We all know what it is to get weary in prayer.  When we read the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane with the sleepy disciples, we can relate to those disciples.  They weren’t just physically tired; the were feeling the weariness of discouragement and resignation.  We want to be devoted in prayer, but keeping alert over the long haul is difficult. That’s why, in Colossians 4:2, the Apostle Paul adds thanksgiving.  Having our eyes open to all the things God is doing for which we can give Him thanks will enable us to stay alert as we allow God to deepen our devotion to prayer. When weariness in prayer comes in over these 50 Days of Prayer, give thanks! 

As a church today we give are praying for the Coffee Break Ladies’ Bible Study which has continued at 800 Burnhamthorpe for well over three decades. Let’s pray alertly for them and their needs today, and especially to give thanks for this dedication to studying God’s word which has continued for so long.

So we pray,

Great are you, God, and great is your name!  We thank you for prayer and for those who show us how to pray. We thank you for examples of long devotion, like the Apostle Paul, Coffee Break and that church in Korea. We thank you for your lovingkindness in our lives, expressed in faithfulness through your Son Jesus Christ. Please keep us alert today to continue in prayer and to new people, places and things that you want us to pray for.