Good Morning Friends,
“With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)
Paul felt responsibility toward the Thessalonian Christians because he is the one who brought the Gospel to them. They believed his testimony (2 Thessalonians 1:10). Paul visited the Thessalonians as his travels took him near their area of the world, but that would have been very infrequent. Paul wrote them occasionally -- at least twice -- but their postal system made writing an infrequent thing, too. But though his contacts with them were infrequent, his concern for them was constant and it was demonstrated in his prayers on their behalf. Paul preached over much of the known world, and almost every time he wrote, he mentioned his habit of praying for those whose lives he had touched with his ministry. As busy as Paul was, he found time -- he made time -- to regularly and consistently pray for many others.
And the content of his prayers for others represents the best of what God wants to accomplish in us. Paul’s prayers would be a great model to follow as we pray for others -- and a great model to follow as we pray for ourselves.
He prayed that God would count the Thessalonians worthy of the call they had received from Him. God has called you, too. He has called you to a relationship with Him. He has called you to His service. He has called you to represent Him in this world. He longs for you to fulfill His purpose for you in that call.
He prayed that God would demonstrate His power in the Thessalonians by fulfilling every good purpose and every act prompted by faith. Paul didn’t pray that the Thessalonians would have all of their dreams come true – but all of the “good” dreams and purposes, those dreams that come out of a sincere concern for others and not a selfish ambition for ourselves. And it’s God’s power that can accomplish those -- we can never accomplish anything worthwhile in our own power.
He prayed that Jesus would be glorified in the lives of the Thessalonians. There is nothing selfish there, not for Paul and not for the Thessalonians, either. His desire in his own life and for the lives of all other believers was that God would be glorified in them.
Worthy of the call. God’s power at work. God receiving glory. Now there are some things worth praying for -- and worth seeking in your life and in the lives of others.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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