“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)
Read this again and mix your faith with what you are reading…
…“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)
More of Step 1…
…Step 1: Probe the prayer under the light of the Holy Spirit.
We are continuing with verse 11…
…“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.”
Based on everything described in the previous verses Paul was moved continually to prayer for these believers. I know exactly what Paul was saying. My wife Melody was one of the most consistent and steady people I have ever known. Her yes was yes and her no was no. You knew what to expect from her day in and day out. She was rarely tossed to and fro by anything. She did not bring trouble to anyone and yet trouble seemed to go out of its way to visit her. Her attitude and lifestyle made it easy to pray for her and led me to do it often.
Notice what Paul prayed. He knew that on their own these believers could only go so far in living victoriously in the midst of troubles. He knew that human will power and determination will only go so far. Therefore he prayed that they would experience the power of God. God longs to make his power known. As a matter of fact he is continually looking for those that are ready to experience his power.
“For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him…” (2 Chronicles 16:9a BSB)
Paul was praying that this power would be used by God to empower these Thessalonians to live in a way that was worthy of experiencing his very best for them. Other translations use the phrase “worthy of his calling.” Every believer has a “calling” (a specific purpose and assignment in and for the kingdom of Heaven on Earth). God’s power always has a purpose. I am blessed to be a blessing. I am empowered in order to empower others. In my particular case, I have been refired in order to inspire others.
Along with being empowered to fulfill your call and experience all that God has for you, you have been empowered so that “all the pleasures of goodness and all works inspired by faith would fill you completely.” I like how this phrase is worded in the Berean Study Bible, “He will powerfully fulfill your every good desire and work of faith.”
I know first hand just how badly God’s power is needed to fulfill his assignments and experience his best life. Without him I truly can do very little of significance. However, with his power there are no limitations in my life. There may be troubles, obstacles, challenges, mountains, and valleys, but with God’s empowerment there is no such thing as impossibilities. I am able to do whatever he calls me to do.
Allow him to be your power source as you continue on from…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 494: Praying With Paul – 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12: Part 5