Always Praying

Daily Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1-2

Scripture Focus: To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 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)

Devotional Thought: The church at Thessalonica faced intense persecution because the church was growing - both in quantity and in quality of disciples. Paul wrote to affirm their faith and to reassure them that righteous judgment from God will come upon their persecutors.

Then, Paul expresses his heartfelt prayer for the church, “that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 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” (1:11-12). What an amazing prayer! Even today - especially today! - this needs to be prayed over the church. Imagine if we were to all desire that the church would be worthy of the calling of Jesus. Not perfect in performance, as that is impossible before the return of Jesus, but in the purity of the gospel message, in the love that we extend to the lost, and in the way we treat fellow believers.

To what benefit will this lead? The name of Jesus will be glorified… and we in him! There is no outreach program, no mission trip, no small group connection that can compare to this simple prayer. These people were suffering for their faith, and still Paul prayed not for relief from suffering, but that Jesus would be glorified in them, and them in him. When our will is so intertwined with the will of God, we share not only in his sufferings but also in his glory. And as Paul reassures another group of believers, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us,” (Romans 8:18).

Jenny

Prayer: Lord, help us to focus on the eternal rather than what seems more comfortable now. Create in us a heart of love for the lost - and for each other - that would glorify you in a manner worthy of your calling.

Psalm of the Day: 1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah 5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah 6Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. 7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah (Psalms 32:1-7)