The other day, I came out of my office to notice one of the tires on my car was almost flat. I had to do something I hadn’t done in a while. I had to change a flat tire. In the trunk of my car is a spare tire. I’m sure you have one too. Now, I’ve had this particular car for over two years and this is the first time I have even looked at the spare tire. I hadn’t even thought about the spare tire. I only thought about the extra tire when I needed it. I think prayer is sometimes like a spare tire. It’s there just in case. It’s easy to forget about it until you really need it to get you out of trouble. It’s something you are glad to have when you are caught in a dilemma that you cannot fix. God did not give us access to himself to only be used in emergencies. He allows us to come into his presence, he invites us to have communication with himself because he desires a relationship with us. In order to have a close relationship, you must have good conversation. Have you ever met up with a friend you hadn’t seen in a long time? You connected so well the time just flew by. This only happens because at some point you have built a relationship.It’s not God’s will for you and I to have our minds full of Bible knowledge but lacking when it comes to relationship. Prayer is the means by which we go deep with God. What a privilege to have the opportunity to talk with God and to have him speak to our hearts.In Colossians 4:2 the Bible says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”Notice three keys to effective prayer in this very small verse. First, Paul says we are to devote ourselves to prayer.The word “devote” means to grab hold of something and not let go. To “devote” yourself to prayer means to hang on no matter what happens. You never give up on prayer even when it seems useless.Be devoted to prayer.  Always be ready to pray.  Pray when you feel like it, pray when you don’t feel like it.  Pray when you believe in it, pray when you doubt it.  Pray when your heart is filled with faith, pray when you do it by habit.  Do you ever feel like giving up? Paul says, “Keep at it!”“And he (that is, Jesus) told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1 RSV).  “Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17 NIV).  These verses don’t mean that every word we say has to be a prayer.  But they teach us that we should always be ready to pray at a moment’s notice.  Keep the lines open so that you can breathe a prayer in an instant.  Second, the verse says we are to be watchful in prayer. The word means to “stay awake.” This is a call for earnest prayer.  It is the opposite of sleepiness or laziness or coldness or indifference.  Have you ever noticed how easy it is to be distracted when you pray?  A thousand things come crowding into your mind.  Sometimes it seems as if the devil’s best work comes when we decide to pray.  He unloads his full armory of distractions against us.  Third, Paul says we are to be thankful in prayer. The NIV renders it “being watchful and thankful.” Eugene Peterson (The Message) offers this paraphrase: “Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude.”  Gratitude is the doorway to every spiritual blessing.  Why would God give you more if you are not thankful for what has already been given?  If we don’t know what else to do when we pray, we can always find reasons to be thankful.Today’s Challenge: Follow these three keys of prayer in your own time with God: Devote yourself to prayer. Be watchful in prayer, in other words pray with fervency. Third, Pray with thanksgiving. Recognize the incredible blessing we have to talk with God.

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