Consistent communication

Consistent communication

Never stop praying. – 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Colossians 4:2-6

 2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

 3 Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains.

 4 Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.

 5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.

 6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

Research suggests that communication is involved in 90% of all business transactions. Communicating clearly and effectively is essential for success. It can be a daunting task, but it can be mastered.

At its most fundamental level, effective communication is the exchange of thoughts, information, ideas, and messages between people or groups. But communication does not occur unless the attempted transmission is understood (Joel Garfinkle).

How can we communicate better? Joel Garfinkle provides steps to clear and effective communication.

Stay on Message.

Determine what you want hearers to understand and clearly express it parsimoniously.

Make it a Two-Way Conversation.

Know where your listeners are coming from and adapt your communication accordingly.

Making sense of it all.

You should continually ask yourself, “Does what I’m saying make sense?” Is it clear and understandable?

The communicator is responsible for failure.

When people do not understand, then communication has not occurred.

Listen to audience feedback

Listening is a vital part of communication. Attention should be given to feedback from the listeners.

Respect the audience

Communication begins with being a clear and effective communicator. The message is not just about you or what you want. It’s about “what’s in it for the audience.”

How do we effectively communicate with the Father? We communicate with Him through prayer, petition, and intercession. He has provided excellent examples and specific instructions on how to pray and pray effectively.

Our task is to pray that the Father’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Often we have it backward. Sadly, we attempt to persuade the Father to do our will rather than His.

Paul shows us the way. Paul explained that each child of the King needs to develop a life of consistent communication with Him. We are to have “a mental attitude of prayerfulness, continual personal fellowship with God, and consciousness of being in his presence throughout each day” (ESV Notes). This is done via persistent, frequent, and continual prayer.

How is this possible? It is unlikely that any child of the King can maintain a continual and constant dialogue with the Father. It is more about our heart attitude and steady dependence upon the Father. Frequently we may verbalize our thoughts through spoken prayers. But it is our heart that matters. When Paul communicated with the Father through prayer, he often prayed that he might be able to communicate with those who were outside the family of God.

REFLECT & PRAY

“Even for the best of us, there come times when prayer seems to be unproductive and pointless and to penetrate no further than the walls of the room in which we pray. At such a time, the remedy is not to stop but to go on praying; for in those who pray, spiritual dryness cannot last” (Barclay).

Father teach me to pray and pray effectively that Your will would be done on as it is in heaven.

INSIGHT

Sadly, the prayers of the children of the King are often nothing like the prayers of Paul. When we pray in groups, how often, are significant amounts of time devoted to people that we do not know? How much time is spent in intercession for those that are sick or under medical care? Paul’s focus was entirely different. His goal was to get the gospel message out and encourage the children of the King to grow to maturity and become like the Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 4:2-3

 2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

 3 Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains.

When we pray we are to be alert. The Greek word translated as alert or watchful is gregoreo. Gregoreo implies mental alertness, and it is typically translated as watchful, vigilant, or alert. As we pray, we are to be sensitive and aware of changing circumstances and adapt our prayers accordingly.

Paul prayed for open doors, that is, opportunities to share the gospel and bring people to the Lord Jesus Christ. He lived for such opportunities and made the most of them. Paul was well aware that most people have closed their minds to the Truth. He prayed that the doors of people’s minds and hearts would be opened through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Paul prayed often was incarcerated. “Paul did not ask for the prison doors to be opened, but that doors of ministry might be opened (1 Corinthians 16:9, Acts 14:27)” (Wiersbe). “It is worth noting that in all of Paul’s prison prayers, his concern was not for personal safety or material help, but for spiritual character and blessing” (Wiersbe).

Paul was totally dependent upon the Father for success in communicating the message that He had given him. The Father opens opportunities and provides the ability to speak the message. “His success was because he looked to the Lord to supply the wisdom for the opportunity” (Melick).

A visitor at Spurgeon’s Tabernacle in London was being shown around the building by the pastor, Charles Spurgeon. “‘Would you like to see the powerhouse of this ministry?’ Spurgeon asked, as he showed the man into a lower auditorium. ‘It is here that we get our power, for while I am preaching upstairs, hundreds of my people are in this room praying’” (Wiersbe).

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© Dr. H 2022