2 Thessalonians 1:11, 12 says...
Today's verses are 2 Thessalonians 1:11, 12, which read,
To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The question here is what is Paul praying about for the Christians in the church at Thessalonica? Paul is praying that they would be found worthy by God of what they were called by God to do and be. The prayer was for them to excel in their ability to be good to others and also to see many others come to faith. All this is so that the name of Jesus will be proclaimed and believed and raised up. This is all possible because of the grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ given to us.
Is this the composition of our prayers for the church today? Do we pray that God looks at our church and sees us doing and being who we were called to be? Do we pray for increasing times to extend our hands in goodness to others? Do we pray that our evangelistic efforts will result in seeing the power of God move in such a way that we can only give credit to the name of Jesus? Do we pray that we would be a church that sees more of the grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ in our midst?
Churches and Christians can become selfish just as anyone else. We can get selfish with what we will do for God and what we won't do for Him. We can settle for what is comfort and easy to do rather than what God puts on our plate to do for Him. We can settle for the spread of the faith to happen at a certain time and place rather than praying to see it happen when we are not prepared for it.
We need to be praying that we as a church will be mightily used by God in this community. God planted this church here to make a difference in people's lives for the kingdom of God. Not just to help people physically (which we will do) but to point them to Jesus who calls them to be helped spiritually. We should look around on a Sunday morning and see open spots in the pews and realize and pray for them to be filled because of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. God has given us the space to grow for His kingdom. Let's be praying to see His mighty power of the gospel happen here through us, His humble servants.
"Lord, what a prayer to pray today for our church. If we have become comfortable with the way things are and the group of familiar faces we see on Sundays that You convict us to get uncomfortable for the cause of Christ. Put within us a desire to see our church full because of our service and worship of You to and in our community. Amen."
Pastor Adam
To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The question here is what is Paul praying about for the Christians in the church at Thessalonica? Paul is praying that they would be found worthy by God of what they were called by God to do and be. The prayer was for them to excel in their ability to be good to others and also to see many others come to faith. All this is so that the name of Jesus will be proclaimed and believed and raised up. This is all possible because of the grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ given to us.
Is this the composition of our prayers for the church today? Do we pray that God looks at our church and sees us doing and being who we were called to be? Do we pray for increasing times to extend our hands in goodness to others? Do we pray that our evangelistic efforts will result in seeing the power of God move in such a way that we can only give credit to the name of Jesus? Do we pray that we would be a church that sees more of the grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ in our midst?
Churches and Christians can become selfish just as anyone else. We can get selfish with what we will do for God and what we won't do for Him. We can settle for what is comfort and easy to do rather than what God puts on our plate to do for Him. We can settle for the spread of the faith to happen at a certain time and place rather than praying to see it happen when we are not prepared for it.
We need to be praying that we as a church will be mightily used by God in this community. God planted this church here to make a difference in people's lives for the kingdom of God. Not just to help people physically (which we will do) but to point them to Jesus who calls them to be helped spiritually. We should look around on a Sunday morning and see open spots in the pews and realize and pray for them to be filled because of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. God has given us the space to grow for His kingdom. Let's be praying to see His mighty power of the gospel happen here through us, His humble servants.
"Lord, what a prayer to pray today for our church. If we have become comfortable with the way things are and the group of familiar faces we see on Sundays that You convict us to get uncomfortable for the cause of Christ. Put within us a desire to see our church full because of our service and worship of You to and in our community. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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