“Never stop praying” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT)
”So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT)
“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:24 NKJV)
As we read this again let’s come into agreement for the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to us that will deepen our prayer lives…
…“We feel a personal responsibility to continually be thanking God for you, our spiritual family, every time we pray. And we have every reason to do so because your faith is growing marvelously beyond measure. The unselfish love each of you share for one another is increasing and overflowing! We point to you as an example of unwavering faith for all the churches of God. We boast about how you continue to demonstrate unflinching endurance through all the persecutions and painful trials you are experiencing. All of this proves that God’s judgment is always perfect and is intended to make you worthy of inheriting the kingdom of God, which is why you are going through these troubles.
It is right and just for God to trouble your troublers and give rest to the troubled, both to you and to us, at the unveiling of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his messengers of power within a flame of fire. He will bring perfect and full justice to those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to embrace the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction, banished from the Lord’s presence and from the manifestation of his glorious power. This will happen on that day when he glorifies his holy ones, and they will be marveled at in all those who believed—including you, since in fact, you believed our message.
With this in mind, we constantly pray that our God will empower you to live worthy of all that he has invited you to experience. And we pray that by his power all the pleasures of goodness and all works inspired by faith would fill you completely. By doing this the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you will be glorified in him, by the marvelous grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3-12 TPT)
Let’s get started on Step 1…
…Step 1: Probe the prayer under the light of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s continue with verses 4 – 5…
…“We point to you as an example of unwavering faith for all the churches of God. We boast about how you continue to demonstrate unflinching endurance through all the persecutions and painful trials you are experiencing. All of this proves that God’s judgment is always perfect and is intended to make you worthy of inheriting the kingdom of God, which is why you are going through these troubles.”
Have you ever made your own orange juice or lemonade? How about apple cider? I remember as a child how cool it was the first time my parents took me to an orchard and we watched the process as they turned apples into cider. The apples were dumped onto a conveyer belt on their way to the press. As they went under the press it came down on them and crushed them, squeezing out all of their juice.
My mom had a glass “juicer” that she kept in the kitchen. It was a simple bowl with a piece in the center that stuck up and came to a point. I would watch as she cut oranges in half and then would press one half at a time onto the center piece and turn it as she pushed it down on the point squeezing out delicious orange juice. We would do a similar process with lemons and grapefruit only with these we would add some sugar to sweeten up the bitter juice.
My sister lives a very healthy lifestyle. She walks four to five miles at least three times per week. She eats mainly fruits and vegetables. And she “juices” every day. She has an electric juicer in which she places various fruits and vegetables and then drinks the healthy concoction that she squeezes.
All of these examples shared a couple of common lessons. First, you don’t know just what is inside until it comes out. Second, To get what’s on the inside to come out takes pressure. This pressure may be planned (like choosing to go through an obstacle course), or unplanned (like being hit by a storm).
Paul was holding up the believers in Thessalonica as an example for other groups of believers (churches) because as life squeezed them out flowed “unwavering faith” and “unflinching endurance.” Tough times will expose what is on the inside of me. Trials will make or break me. The difference is what is on the inside.
Paul looked at what he was seeing in the Thessalonians as evidence that God’s “judgment is always perfect.” When God squeezes us he knows exactly what it takes to get the best possible results. I think it’s important to add a disclaimer at this point…
…Disclaimer: In this squeezing, God does not use methods that contradict his nature or character (love and goodness), or what Jesus came to restore and remove in our lives through his sinless life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension (sin, sickness, lack, oppression, etc.). By his grace he will turn what the enemy means for harm to good, making all things (even the “bad” things) work together for my good. But he is not the one doing (or even allowing) these things. He is the one placing strict limits on these things as they come my way in order to guarantee that I can handle them and make a way of escape so that I can be freed from them.
Paul went on to explain that the reason that I at times find myself “going through these troubles” is because within the intentions of God they are making me “worthy of inheriting the Kingdom of God.” This reminds me of going to the gym and meeting with a trainer. The trainer designs a specific plan for me to reach my specific goals. The trainer will council me as needed in setting these goals and then put together the specific exercises and schedule to best accomplish these goals. Within this plan will be “planned and managed pain.” The trainer’s intention is to build me up, not tear me down. It is to improve the quality, and assist me in working to extend the length of my life.
Today’s questions…
…What have I been putting inside of myself?
…When I am squeezed, what do I think will come out?
…Do I need to change my daily input or develop a new plan?
Once again allow the Holy Spirit and the Word guide as you digest……Eric’s Life Lesson # 492: Praying With Paul – 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12: Part 3