While Paul was imprisoned for two years in Rome, unable to continue his missionary work in person, he used the time to write to several churches. As he closed his letter to the church in Colossae, he wrote this instruction:
“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.” -Colossians 4:2-4, ESV
In these verses, Paul told the church how to pray and what to pray. He told them to pray “steadfastly” and “with thanksgiving,” and he asked the believers to pray “that God may open to us a door for the word” so he could clearly proclaim the gospel.
It may seem odd for Paul to instruct believers to pray with thanksgiving while he was imprisoned. But this was not an accident. Giving thanks is essential for the kind of prayer Paul was seeking.
Being thankful requires remembering how God has been faithful.
“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” -Psalm 9:1, ESV
“We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.” -Psalm 75:1, ESV
By remembering how God has been faithful, believers can have confidence that God is capable.
“‘“Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.”’” -Jeremiah 32:17, ESV
“But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” -Matthew 19:26, ESV
Believing in God’s capability is key to praying for an open door to presenting the gospel in difficult places.
Imprisonment is not an ideal circumstance for proclaiming the gospel, but in God’s kindness, Paul was able to do so. Paul was under house arrest in Rome and was able to have visitors often. He “welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance (Acts 28:30b-31, ESV).”
The Lord was faithful to open a door for the gospel to advance, even while Paul was held captive. Because of God’s faithfulness, believers can look back on this story with thankfulness and trust that God can open doors today in the hardest-to-reach places in the world.
Missionaries and believers in unreached places face daily trials and obstacles. The spiritual soil where they are spreading gospel seeds is hard, and they risk persecution for sharing their faith. These gospel workers need the church to pray for them so they can “declare the mystery of Christ” in the world’s spiritually darkest places.
Praying with thanksgiving is crucial to the gospel reaching those who have never heard the name of Jesus. If God could shake prison walls and soften the hardest of hearts thousands of years ago, He can still do it today. As we pray for more laborers to go into the harvest and open doors for the gospel, let us do so with a thankful heart for God’s proven faithfulness on the mission field.