The Prayer Imperative

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2 NASB

Devote – Yes, it’s fine for Paul to say this. After all, he is a saint. But for you and me? No, devotion to prayer is just too much, especially when it includes “keeping alert.” I don’t know about you, but it’s all I can do to stay awake! The NASB choice of “devote” for the Greek verb proskartereo leaves me feeling as if I can never measure up. Yes, I know prayer is at the heart of my relationship with God. I know that prayer is essential to the Hebraic idea of being human. But “devote” just seems too high a standard for me. I have never spent an entire day in prayer. I have rarely spent even an entire hour. How can I hope to be devoted to something that seems to tax my ability to concentrate?

Maybe I need to know a bit more about Paul’s choice of verb. The root of proskartereo is kartereo which actually doesn’t mean the super-emotional, hyper-commitment we might associate with “devote.” Kartereo actually has two meanings, “to be strong” and “to endure steadfastly.” It is the LXX Greek equivalent of the Hebrew barak (to bless), found in the most unusual of passages, Job 2:9. Apparently, kartereo is akin to crying out. Yes, I can do that. I can cry out before the Lord, even if my crying out is intensely brief. I can exclaim both my trust in Him and my need for rescue. I can shout His praises and yell about my circumstances. If that’s what Paul had in mind, I can do it.

What about the second meaning—“to endure steadfastly.” That idea is found in 2 Maccabees 7:17. It’s related to martyrdom. It means to persevere to the very end. Can I do that? Well, probably. At this point I am convinced that I would not give up my pursuit of YHVH even if it meant death. I’m not keen to find out, of course, especially if it involves torture. But I don’t think I will ever give up this path. So I guess I meet the second requirement of kartereo as well. I intend to persevere. I plan to never let go.

There’s just one problem. Kartereo is only found in the apostolic writings in one place—and it isn’t here (it’s in Hebrews 11:27). What we find here is proskartereo, the combination of our root with the pros, a word that strengthens the meaning and adds the idea of going toward something. So apparently crying out and enduring isn’t quite enough. I must strain in the crying out and press toward the enduring. But is that “devotion”? I’m not sure our country music kind of devotion is really appropriate here. After all, proskartereo is found in Yeshua’s comment about being constantly ready (Mark 3:9) and in the description of the disciples’ persistence in prayer (Acts 1:14) but not in the great story of Mary’s devotion (Luke 10:42). I rather believe that Paul has Hannah in mind. The prayer of intensity and tenacity is the prayer of proskartereo. And that I can do. Thankfully. Others may question my devotion, but the Lord knows my intensity.

Topical Index: prayer, proskartereo, devotion, Colossians 4:2