[Biblemat] A) OUR PRAYER, OUR WALK, OUR TALK

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  A very good Monday
morning to each and everyone.  May God bless you and yours.
Here is an article from my files:

OUR  PRAYER, OUR WALK, OUR TALK

     Have you ever seen and heard someone who has failed at
a task try to tell someone else how to do what they have not
been able to accomplish?  Something like a bankrupt person
offering seminars on successful financial planning.  It just does not compute!

     The apostle Paul set an example, and asked us to follow it
as he followed Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1)!  Paul was a
successful Christian.  He calls upon us to do as he did.  He
writes to the Colossian brethren encouraging them to pray,
walk, and talk in a certain way (Col. 4:2-6).

     Interestingly, Paul addresses the importance of them pray-
ing for him and his ministry in Christ (Col. 2:3,4; Eph. 6:18,19)
The apostle James wrote, "The effective, fervent prayer of a
righteous man avails much" (Jas. 5:16).  The righteous life of
a Christian has a great bearing on the effectiveness of his/her
prayer.

     Our prayer life is to be a constant approach before God.
It is not to be sporadic by only going to the Father when there
is a problem or when we need something.  Paul wrote, "Pray
without ceasing" (1 Thes. 5:17)!  Earnest and vigilant prayer
speaks of devotion and watchfulness on our part (Col. 4:2).
Remember how the disciples failed in their praying on the night that Jesus 
was betrayed at Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36-41). 

     Our walk in Christ should exemplify a life that is wise to-
ward outsiders, and redeems the time (Col. 4:5; Eph. 5:15-17).
Jesus described this kind of behavior when He told His discip-
les to be "wise as a serpent but harmless as a dove" (Matt. 10:10).  A 
Christian's wise walk can convict unbelievers of 
their sinful decisions, and influence them to become followers
of Jesus Christ (Matt. 5:14-16; 1 Pet. 2:12).

     Our talk or speech should be gracious and seasoned with
salt (Col. 2:6).  The words we speak come from God's grace,
love, kindness, mercy, joy, and peace.  We express ourselves
as people who have been forgiven and want to offer the same
forgiveness to others.  We know that we have given oursel-
ves as a sacrifice to the Father through Jesus, and as sacri-
fices we answer all things by the Word of God (1 Pet. 3:15).

     Christians are people of prayer who walk and talk like
Jesus!  May God bless us all to be what God wants us to be
in His Son -- in our prayer, in our walk, and in our talk!  ------
Ron Drumm.   </HTML>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.biblematters.net/pipermail/biblemat/attachments/20071112/d7b43914/attachment-0001.html