On Colossians 4

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." (v. 2)

I find it interesting that Paul said to be watchful and thankful in our praying. I find it easy to be thankful when I pray, but what does it mean to be watchful in prayer? I gather that it means to be observant in our daily lives and look for things to pray for and opportunities to pray.

Paul goes on in the same section: "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (vv. 5 - 6)

We are to be watchful when we are around others - making the most of every opportunity. This is the hard part for me. When I am around people who don't share my faith, I tend to be less careful about what I say. It is easier to gossip or speak rudely when I am around people who speak the same way (that's not to say the non-believers are rude, but that they don't judge that kind of speech the way believers do). I guess that's the root of it. Christians tend to be very judgmental (myself included) about the things people say, especially non-believers. Is that being full of grace? No. Our conversation is to be seasoned with salt. Salt is a preservative and adds flavour and taste to dishes. Our conversation should be wholesome, enjoyable and leaving a pleasant taste in the mouths of the listeners (so to speak!). People will not be drawn to Christ if we speak rudely or act judgmental towards them. We need to pray for opportunities to draw people to Christ and ask God to give us the words to say that will be "salty" for the listener.