40 Days of Prayer, Worshiping in Gratitude Colossians 3:16, Week 4, Day 5

WORSHIPING IN GRATITUDE COLOSSIANS 3:16
Paul says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” I want to pause here and note that everything else Paul says in verse 16 is downstream of this. If we get what he says backwards, we run the risk of looking to ourselves to muster up “thankfulness in our hearts to God.” We’ll end up starting with what we must do rather than what’s already been done for us by Christ.
Instead, Paul begins with God giving us something to be thankful for, which takes the pressure off of us. We don’t have to generate gratitude on our own. So, what has God given us that makes us thankful to Him? The Word of Christ. Let’s meditate on Christ and what He’s done for us, and the rest of what Paul says to do will follow. Let us bring our worship and praise out of a heart that is set on Jesus. May our hearts overflow His goodness.
REFLECTION PRAYER
God our Father, from You comes grace and peace to us. Incline our hearts to do what Paul commands, namely, to let the message of Christ, the gospel, dwell in us richly so that we’re able to teach and admonish one another in all wisdom. Father, make the gospel so real to our hearts that we can’t help but sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in our hearts to You. Jesus, in Your name we pray, amen.

By JESSE PFAU