Continue in prayer, and watch in it with thanksgiving;
All Commentaries on Colossians 4:2 Go To Colossians 4
John Chrysostom
AD 407
For, since continuing in prayers frequently makes persons listless, therefore he says, watching, that is, sober, not wandering. For the devil knows, he knows, how great a good prayer is; therefore he presses heavily. And Paul also knows how careless many are when they pray, wherefore he says, continue in prayer, as of somewhat laborious, watching therein with thanksgiving. For let this, he says, be your work, to give thanks in your prayers both for the seen and the unseen, and for His benefits to the willing and unwilling, and for the kingdom, and for hell, and for tribulation, and for refreshment. For thus is the custom of the Saints to pray, and to give thanks for the common benefits of all.
I know a certain holy man who prays thus. He used to say nothing before these words, but thus, We give You thanks for all Your benefits bestowed upon us the unworthy, from the first day until the present, for what we know, and what we know not, for the seen, for the unseen, for those in deed, those in word, those with our wills, those against our wills, for all that have been bestowed upon the unworthy, even us; for tribulations, for refreshments, for hell, for punishment, for the kingdom of heaven. We beseech You to keep our soul holy, having a pure conscience; an end worthy of your lovingkindness. You that loved us so as to give Your Only-Begotten for us, grant us to become worthy of Your love; give us wisdom in Your word, and in Your fear. Only-Begotten Christ, inspire the strength that is from You. Thou that gavest The Only-Begotten for us, and hast sent Your Holy Spirit for the remission of our sins, if in anything we have wilfully or unwillingly transgressed, pardon, and impute it not. Remember all that call upon Your Name in truth; remember all that wish us well, or the contrary, for we are all men. Then having added the Prayer of the Faithful, he there ended; having made that prayer, as a certain crowning part, and a binding together for all. For many benefits does God bestow upon us even against our wills; many also, yea more, without our knowledge even. For when we pray for one thing, and He does to us the reverse, it is plain that He does us good even when we know it not.
