The Letter to the Colossians and the Letter to Philemonনমুনা

Paul encourages the church to do two things: pray and be ready.

Pray! Pray that he and his team will get open doors to share the message—and that they can do it clearly and plainly. This isn't about a general "bless them" but is very specific: Pray that God will provide opportunities and that the gospel will be proclaimed in an understandable way. Missionaries, preachers, and evangelists need our specific prayers.

Be Ready! Take advantage of opportunities as they come. When you are asked, give an answer. Peter phrases it similarly: Be ready to give an answer when you are asked! You can only give an answer when you are asked a question. And we are only asked questions when our lives—in a positive sense—are "questionable." Worthy of a question. When there is a noticeable difference between us and others, that sparks curiosity and raises questions.

Paul and Peter both expect that such questions will come. This makes sense: our lives as Christians are under a completely different banner. We align ourselves with what is above.

Where do you experience your life being "questionable"—in a positive sense?