The Internet is a powerful tool. It’s the place we go to stay in touch with friends, watch videos, listen to music and shop for just about everything. As long as we’re connected to the Internet, we can seamlessly move from page to page. But the second our Wi-Fi connection is dropped or service goes down, the dreaded “Connection lost” message pops up on our screen. When our access to the source is interrupted, we do whatever it takes to be connected again.
Jesus establishes a connection with us to Himself through the Holy Spirit. Through this connection we communicate, worship, share our needs, listen for His guidance, and grow closer to Him step by step. We maintain this connection through regular prayer with Him. Colossians 4:2 says we are to devote ourselves to prayer and to be watchful and thankful. For prayer to be powerful, it must be something we do regularly. We should pray intentionally and with expectation that God will honour our efforts. Successful prayer over time results in moving us closer to God rather than trying to move Him closer to us.
As followers of Jesus, we are to do the work the Lord has given us to reach others for Him. Colossians 4:3-4 tells us to pray “that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ…” That is great news! God says we can pray for Him to open doors for us to share the gospel with others who will have been prepared by the Holy Spirit before we even show up, rather than just pushing against the doors ahead of us in our own limited strength. God’s power enables our success for Him when we maintain our connection to Him through prayer .