Title: Paul's Prayer/1 Thessalonians 3:3-9
Contents Paul's Prayer/1 Thessalonians 3:3-9 Rev.
The apostle Paul was a man of prayer. His prayers for the Saints in Thessalonica are recorded from 3:9-13, and Paul would always write a letter at the beginning of his letter, praying and giving thanks for those who received it. In particular, Philippians 1:4 says, “Whenever I make a supplication, I always make intercession for all of you with joy.” The Apostle Paul not only preached the gospel to them and nurtured us with the word of God, but also prayed and prayed for them.
Jesus also prayed for his disciples. “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded of you to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. After you are converted, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32-33).
A sister prayed and prayed for her husband's change. But my husband was impatient, and God didn't seem to answer that prayer. However, as the Lord had told her to pray always and not to be discouraged, she did not give up and continued to pray. While praying, God's hand came upon the sister herself, and this sister was transformed. Then God changed her husband. Prayer truly changes the person who prays, changes the surroundings, and accomplishes the work of changing the family.
If you look at the text, you can see that the Apostle Paul prayed three special prayers for the church members.
First, we prayed for mature faith. 1 Thessalonians 3:10 says, “I supplicate fervently day and night, that when I see your face, I may complete the lack of your faith.” Here, the original word ‘cathartizo’, which means ‘to make perfect’, has several meanings, and in English it is “adjust”. Equip. Also translated as furnish. In the Bible, this word was used to mean ‘to cast a net’, and it was also used as a medical term to mean to correct and restore a joint when it is broken. Paul prayed that the faith of the Thessalonian church members would be restored and healthy like this.
But in 2 Thessalonians 1:3 it says, “Brothers, we should always give thanks to God for you, because your faith grows more and more and your love for one another abounds all of you.” In 1 Thessalonians, Paul prayed for the believers' faith to grow day and night. Now, looking at the second book, that prayer has been answered. When we pray for others, we too should pray for their faith to grow.
Third, Paul prayed for the holy life of the saints: “May your hearts be strengthened and be blameless in holiness before God and our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints” (1 Thessalonians 3:13). . Those who wait for the return of the Lord live holy lives. The Lord has promised such people the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8). These saints strive to evangelize, donate material, and live without shame. The divorce rate in Korea has become the second highest in the world after the United States. Beloved, now is the time for us to wake up from our sleep. Let us pray that we will be holy and without blemish.