Scripture:
2 Thess 3:1-2 As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith.
Observation:
Paul is writing to the Thessalonians and asking for their prayers. He makes it known that he is constantly praying for them and now he is asking them to do the same. Here is Paul, a powerful leader in the early church, letting the early believers know that he needs prayer just as much as they do. But it is interesting to note he doesn’t ask for prayer for himself but that God’s word to be easily accepted and spread quickly wherever he went. It also revealed what he feared the most: opposition through wicked and evil people that could disrupt his work.
Paul knows that there is power in prayer and there is also comfort in knowing others are praying for you.
Application:
Paul provides us with a great example of how we should pray. Paul prayed consistently, he prayed with others, he prayed continually and he prayed regularly.
Not only should I ask others to pray for me, I should let them know I am praying for them. I often let people in my office know I will pray for them if they are sick, have family issues, etc. I don’t know how this will be taken and usually I don’t even get a response but just yesterday I had someone ask me to pray for them. Prayer works. There is power in prayer and comfort in knowing others are praying for you.
Paul had the proper perspective. Too often our prayers are “outcome prayers” as Mark Dennison recently put it. We pray to God for a particular outcome for ourselves. Paul prayed for an outcome but one that would benefit God’s kingdom. This is a perspective that often gets overlooked in my prayers.
Prayer:
Thank You for allowing me to be a part of your plan. Let me make it less about me and more about you in everything I do.