Sometimes we want to talk about Jesus with someone close to us but struggle to know when to begin or what to say. We may worry that speaking too quickly will make the relationship awkward. Colossians 4:2-6 shows us how to prepare for conversations about the gospel in these situations: pray to God, live wisely before our neighbors, and respond graciously to each person. Alongside ministry that takes us far from home, the Great Commission also shapes our attitude toward the people we meet today.
Direct Scripture quotations in this article use the World English Bible (WEB). The practical examples are suggestions for applying the passage to everyday life.
Why Prayer, Life, and Speech Belong Together
Colossians 3:12-17 urges the community renewed in Christ to live clothed in compassion, gentleness, forgiveness, and love. A life in which the word of Christ dwells richly is expressed beyond times of worship. It also appears in the way we treat one another and speak in everyday situations. The passage that follows, Colossians 4:2-6, brings prayer, gospel proclamation, and our conduct and speech toward people outside the church into one connected flow.
Remembering this connection keeps us from preparing for evangelism through speaking skills alone. Of course, the gospel needs to be spoken. Paul himself asks for opportunities to speak. Yet we should examine attitudes that make us warm inside the church but rude to our neighbors, or that lead us to speak of hope while treating our actual commitments lightly. The everyday life of someone who follows Christ and the words that person shares need to be considered together.
In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus commands his followers to make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to observe everything he has commanded. A gospel conversation, then, does not end with gaining a single response. It looks toward a relationship in which we walk together as someone comes to know Jesus and follow his word. This brief exhortation in Colossians teaches us where that long journey together can begin today.
Remain Watchful in Prayer with Thanksgiving
Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving;
Colossians 4:2, WEB
Paul first urges his readers to persist in prayer. Prayer is a place to let go of the idea that we can change another person’s heart at our preferred pace and instead depend on God. Thanksgiving belongs in prayer as well. Even when we do not yet have all the answers, we can thank God for letting us hear the gospel and for giving us an opportunity to love someone today.
As we apply the call to watchful prayer, we can examine whether our hearts have grown inattentive in our repeated prayers. Consider whether you have assumed that you already understand someone without listening carefully to what they say. We may need to listen afresh to a family member’s long-standing question or a coworker’s cautiously shared concern. As you pray, pay attention to what that person is going through and to the responsibilities you need to fulfill.
Choose a time of day when you can pray consistently, and pray for someone who comes to mind. You can ask God to care for that person’s difficulties and to help you treat them with love and communicate the gospel clearly. This does not mean that God acts only after we have completed a certain amount of prayer. What matters is continuing to love while depending on God, instead of impatiently trying to control the outcome of the relationship.
Ask God to Open the Door
praying together for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds;
Colossians 4:3, WEB
that I may reveal it as I ought to speak.
Colossians 4:4, WEB
Paul asks the believers to pray for him while he is in chains. Here he asks for an opportunity to speak the gospel and to make known the message he ought to proclaim. We should not stretch the image of an open door for evangelism into a promise that every obstacle will disappear or that comfortable circumstances are guaranteed. Paul’s imprisonment and his hope for gospel proclamation appear together in this passage.
A similar prayer request appears in Ephesians 6:18-20. Paul asks the believers to pray that he will make known the mystery of the gospel boldly. Praying for others is more than watching ministry from a distance. We can pray specifically for the circumstances and message of those who share God’s word in places we cannot visit ourselves.
Our application today can be equally specific. If you pray for missionaries or those serving in your church’s gospel ministry, look for prayer requests they can share publicly about whom they are reaching and what Scripture they are teaching. Around you, pay attention when someone asks about faith or expresses a desire to read the Bible together. When such an opportunity comes, suggest a way to explore who Jesus is together, rather than spending the whole conversation recounting your own experiences.
Keep Christ at the Center of the Conversation
The purpose in Colossians 4:3-4 is more than speaking at length or creating a pleasant atmosphere. It is to make known the gospel concerning Christ. Colossians 1:26-28 explains that the mystery hidden in the past has now been revealed to the saints. The glory of this mystery is rich among the Gentiles as well, and Christ dwelling in the saints is the hope of glory. Christ is also the center of Paul’s proclamation and teaching. The mystery here does not refer to an evangelistic technique known only to a select few.
As you prepare for a conversation, read Colossians 1:13-14 and Colossians 1:20-22 together. The gospel tells of God bringing us into his Son’s kingdom and granting forgiveness of sins, and of reconciliation through Christ’s cross and death. Attending to this center keeps us from presenting faith merely as a secret to an easier life or a way to feel more at peace.
When sharing your experience, describe the help you have received and then explain who is the source of that help. You do not need to dramatize the story of your life before and after believing in Jesus. You can honestly share how you came to recognize your own need for forgiveness and what hope you place in Christ. Rather than trying to explain everything in one sitting, it is better to check what the other person has not understood and return to the biblical text together.
Act Wisely toward People outside the Church
Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.
Colossians 4:5, WEB
This exhortation concerns our lives in relation to people outside the community of faith. It cannot be read as permission to look down on them or keep our distance. It calls us to examine how we live before them. Even before a conversation about evangelism begins, we are already encountering our neighbors through the way we handle work, promises, and conflict.
At work, we can carry out our responsibilities faithfully and, when we have done something wrong, apologize before offering excuses. At home, we can examine a habit of interrupting others. These actions do not replace the gospel. They are ways for those who proclaim Christ to seek to act faithfully toward their neighbors too. We need an attitude that does not make kindness conditional on a conversation and that continues to offer needed help even when the other person shows no interest.
In applying the exhortation to make good use of time, we need to distinguish between keeping a busy person from their responsibilities and valuing an opportunity we have been given. Consider whether the person has time to talk, and if the moment is difficult, suggest a more convenient time. When someone speaks about sorrow or hardship, listen first and look for practical ways to help. Wise conduct calls for careful discernment rather than repeating the same approach without regard for the situation.
Respond to Each Person with Gracious Words
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
Colossians 4:6, WEB
In this sentence, the image of salt is connected to gracious speech and a fitting answer for each person. Rather than assigning a separate spiritual meaning to each property of salt, follow the surrounding exhortation and consider the manner and appropriateness of your words. We can speak the gospel clearly while avoiding expressions that mock people or needlessly provoke them. Truthfulness and gentleness should be upheld together.
1 Peter 3:15-16 urges us to prepare an answer for those who ask about the reason for our hope while maintaining a gentle attitude and a good conscience. 2 Timothy 2:24-25 also teaches that the Lord’s servant should avoid quarreling and teach with gentleness. Return to these passages when the desire to win an argument begins to take over. You can admit what you do not know and say that you will look into it before talking again.
To answer each person, we first need to understand what that person is asking. Explain unfamiliar Christian terms in accessible language, and do not make light of the experience of someone who has been hurt in a church. Try restating the person’s question in your own words to check that you have understood it correctly. Even as we share the same gospel, we can give careful attention to where our explanation begins and how quickly the conversation moves.
Begin with One Person This Week
Read Colossians 4:2-6 and choose whichever of the following practices you most need now. This sequence is a set of suggestions for examining prayer, action, and speech together, rather than a fixed formula for evangelism.
- Think of someone to pray for. Give thanks that you have met this person, and ask God to care for their circumstances and provide an opportunity to share the gospel.
- Examine your everyday responsibilities. Begin by considering any promise you have failed to keep or apology you have put off. Find out what help is needed and do what you can.
- Listen carefully to the person’s questions. Once you have understood what they want to know, ask whether you may share the hope you believe in. Respect their wishes if they do not feel able to talk.
- Open a path to reading Scripture together. If they show interest, choose a passage and a convenient time to read together so they can come to know Jesus. Keep listening to their questions and learning together at your next meeting.
If you discuss these practices in a small group, share what you have learned in light of Scripture and what prayer is needed next, instead of comparing how many people each member has persuaded. Do not share the details of another person’s private experiences without their consent. A community that prays together can help its members recognize their impatience and continue loving faithfully.
Prayer may not immediately open a door for conversation. A conversation that was difficult to begin may end differently from what you hoped. At such times, instead of judging yourself only by the outcome, examine your prayers, attitude, and words again in light of the Scripture you have heard today. Jesus, who gave the Great Commission, promised to be with his followers (Matthew 28:20). Depending on that promise, we can continue with honesty and gentleness when we meet again.
A Prayer to Share
Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing me to hear the gospel. Help me love and pray for the people I meet, and give me opportunities to share Christ. Make my actions wise and fill my words with grace. Help me listen well, speak clearly about Jesus, and learn your word together with others. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
References
- Colossians 4, Korean Revised Version — Prayer, gospel proclamation, conduct, and speech
- Colossians 3, Korean Revised Version — The new life and the community
- Colossians 1, Korean Revised Version — Christ and the gospel of reconciliation
- Matthew 28, Korean Revised Version — The command to make disciples and the promise of Christ’s presence
- Ephesians 6, Korean Revised Version — Prayer for bold gospel proclamation
- 1 Peter 3, Korean Revised Version — The reason for hope and a gentle answer
- 2 Timothy 2, Korean Revised Version — Teaching with gentleness and without quarreling
- Colossians 4:6 in parallel translations — Verification of WEB wording for the English companion article