Colossians 4:2

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Continue	προσκαρτερεῖτε proskartereite	G4342	to be earnest towards · verb — present active imperative, 2nd person plural
prayer	προσευχῇ proseuchēa	G4335	prayer (worship) · noun — dative singular feminine
watch	γρηγοροῦντες grēgorountes	G1127	to keep awake · verb — present active participle, nominative plural masculine
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
same	αὐτῇ autēa	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — dative singular feminine
with	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
thanksgiving	εὐχαριστίᾳ· eucharistia	G2169	gratitude · noun — dative singular feminine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 Pray without ceasing.
Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Romans 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Luke 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before…
1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Colossians 4:2-4

If this be considered as connected with the foregoing verse, then we may observe that it is part of the duty which masters owe their servants to pray with them, and to pray daily with them, or continue in prayer. They must not only do justly and kindly by them, but act a Christian and religious part, and be concerned for their souls as well as their bodies: "As parts of your charge, and under your influence, be concerned for the blessing of God upon them, as well as the success of your affairs in their hands." And this is the duty of every one - to continue in prayer. "Keep up your constant times of prayer, without being diverted from it by other business; keep your hearts close to the duty,…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Colossians 4:2

Continue--Greek, "Continue perseveringly," "persevere" (Eph 6:18), "watching thereunto"; here, "watch in the same," or "in it," that is, in prayer: watching against the indolence as to prayer, and in prayer, of our corrupt wills. with thanksgiving--for everything, whether joyful, or sorrowful, mercies temporal and spiritual, national, family, and individual (Co1 14:17; Phi 4:6; Th1 5:18).

Adam Clarke on Colossians 4:2

Continue in prayer - This was the apostle's general advice to all; without this, neither wives, husbands, children, parents, servants, nor masters, could fulfill the duties which God, in their respective stations, required of them. All might, power, and life come from God; his creatures are continually dependent upon him for all these: to earnest, persevering prayer, he has promised every supply; but he who prays not has no promise. How few wives feel it their duty to pray to God to give them grace to behave as wives! How few husbands pray for the grace suited to their situation, that they may be able to fulfill its duties! The like may be said of children, parents, servants, and masters. As…

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John Gill on Colossians 4:2

The Church Fathers

"Continue in prayer, watching thereunto with thanksgiving. Walk in wisdom towards them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."
— Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor Book 3

That we are to be urgent in prayers. In the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians: "Be instant in prayer, and watch therein." Also in the first Psalm: "But in the law of the Lord is his will, and in His law will he meditate day and night."
— Cyprian, Treatise XII. Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews.

This seems to indicate that the people of God did not fight with the hand or weapons so much as with the voice and tongue, that is, they poured forth prayer to God, and thus overcame their adversaries. Therefore, you, too, if you want to be victorious, listen to the apostle say, "Be assiduous in prayer, being wakeful." This is the most glorious fight of the Christian, not to presume upon his own strength but always to implore the assistance of God.
— Caesarius of Arles,

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Constancy · In prayer — In prayer
Prayer · Accompanied with: Thanksgiving — Accompanied with: Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving · Should always accompany prayer — Should always accompany prayer
Watchfulness · Should be: With thanksgiving — Should be: With thanksgiving

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Colossians 4:2

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Colossians 4:2-4

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Colossians 4:2

Adam Clarke on Colossians 4:2

John Gill on Colossians 4:2

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Colossians 4:2

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Colossians 4:2-4

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Colossians 4:2

Adam Clarke on Colossians 4:2

John Gill on Colossians 4:2

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Colossians 4:1-4

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Colossians 4:2-6