2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
Pray for Us
“Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, 2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.”
To demonstrate Paul’s affections of brotherly love for this church, he introduces his prayer by requesting they pray for Him. As brothers in Christ, Paul wants to have a brotherly love relationship with them so they can look at each other eye to eye, face to face, and not as one in a superior possition praying or giving alms to the lowly. As an apostle of Jesus Christ, Paul has every right to have an elevated position as their spiritual father and as an apostle of Jesus Christ. But he did not rule that over them. Instead, Paul is gracious and wants to imitate Christ by being approachable by all. Status and position has nothing to do with serving God. In this way, Paul is showing the church how they can fulfill Christ’s command to love the brothers (John 13:34); in particular, by having prayers of supplication when praying for them (the missionary team: Paul, Silas, Timothy, and probably Luke as seen in Acts 17).
In their praying, Paul requests that the word of the Lord go forth quickly and be honored, just as it did with them (2 Thessalonians 3:1). Commentaries say Paul was with the Thessalonians only three short months before having to escape because of persecution. Within three months, Paul and his missionary team went to the synogue and were rejected by the Jews, they went to the Geniles and many who were called came to Jesus, and they organized a church for worship. The Thessalonians, in demonstration of the power of God, rejected their idols and came to serve Christ, as an example for others to follow (1 Thessalonians 1:2-10). Yet, we all know that the conviction of sin and rebellion against God, comes by the working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of unbelievers. The Holy Spirit, along with the Word of God regenerates their hearts, bestows a gift of faith, whereby the sinner in deep contrition to the guilt of his sin, comes to Jesus in repentance that leads them to salvation. They believe in their heart, confess with their mouth what their heart believes, and are a new creation in Christ Jesus. Whether the process takes three minutes, three days, three months, or 33 years, salvation is all of God.
Additionally, in 2 Thessalonians 3:2, Paul wants the brothers in the Thessalonian church to pray for their protection from wicked and evil men. A mob of wicked and evil men chased Paul and his missionary companions out of the city. Paul is asking that the church pray a prayer of protection for them so they may continue ministering and building other churches in Europe and Asia. For the evil one is at work and not all are called by God because they do not believe and have faith. John 3:36 says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
We also must be diligent and faithful in our prayers for others. Our pastors who serve us, our church, and our Lord need our prayers of protection; the enemy will do all they can to destroy our faithful pastors. Families and marriages in our church need our prayers of protection; since marriages are of God, the enemy desparately seeks to destroy Christian marriages. Visitors who come to our church need our prayers; may their hearts and minds be open to the gospel message of Christ. The young adults in our church need our prayers; may they continue to service God faithfully and find a Godfearing spouse if our good Lord wills. The youth in our church need our prayers; they are young and very impressionable; may they continue to develop a passion to study God’s Word that will help them for life. The keiki in our church need our prayers; may they grow up in the Word of God and come to trust Him by faith to follow Christ. The seniors in our church need our prayers, may we mobile and free to serve God faithfully with the gifts that God has preciously given to us. The enemy is out to steal, kill, and destroy. In our prayers, we must bind the strongman, the enemy and foe. Christ’s death has crushed the works of Satan, but we continue a battle with our defeated foe by equipping ourselves with the complete armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-18) and by praying in the Spirit of God.
Dear Precious Lord and Savior, Thank you for giving us your precious Son who died for our sins and appease the wrath of God in our place. Thank you for our church, the body of Christ, where we come together to worship You. May we remain steadfast in praying for others. May we always pray a prayer of protection on our church, our pastors, for marriages in our church, our church membership, and for our visitors. May the evil works of the enemy be bound. May the Gospel of Jesus Christ spread out quickly from us; beginning in our church, and out to the utter most parts of the world. In Jesus Name we pray, amen!
Christian Hymn, I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord by Timothy Dwight in 1800
