September 12, 2026 - Grace, Salt & Prayer
Colossians 4:5-6 NIV
[5] Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. [6] Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
How many times have you heard someone say the church is full of hypocrites. Or some of the most unfriendly or mean people I know are in the church. When I talk to people who say something like that, I make sure to mention that not everyone who goes to church is a Christian. Also, we are all sinners and that does not change once we become Christians, but it should change how we respond when our sin is made evident to us. These verses are speaking to believers. If we are living for Jesus then we should have a heart of love for the lost and that should influence how we present ourselves to everyone. When a non-believer interacts with us their picture of who Jesus is becomes colored by how well or poorly, we represent Him. It also can open or close their heart to be willing hear the Gospel from our lips. Everything we say and do is an opportunity that God is giving us to be part of whatever He is doing in the life of the person. Be kind, gracious so that your interaction with them does not leave a bad taste in their mouth.
I know that when I am tired and overly busy or hungry I am not very wise in how I act toward anyone, but I want to season even my poor responses with salt. I love salt and know how much better it makes things taste. But salt also preserves things. So when my actions and or words don't taste good to someone or when I have said or done something that would cause a persons feelings to rot about it, I pray that Jesus gives me the salt I need. To me that means that when I recognize that I did not act well toward someone, I am moved to appologize and if it is appropriate to ask how I can make it up to them or be reconciled to them. I am not always successful at being aware and it takes some time for God to work in my heart and mind about it.
Colossians 4:12 NIV
[12] Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.
This kind of prayer for me would be helpful in those situations. I love the idea of someone wrestling in prayer for me that I would stand firm in all the will of God. And that I would be mature and fully assured in my faith. In fact, if no one prays anything else for me but prays this I would be very pleased. When I pray for the lost I never pray for a need for them without praying for their salvation. When I pray for a believer's need, I also pray for them to be drawn closer to Christ and for His will to be done. I think this will be the universal prayer that I pray for all believers on my list.
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