Prayer for the Thessalonians
Introduction
Live your life in a way consistent with your calling.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 NLT
Prayer for the Thessalonians
11 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Examine the Scriptures:
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
Prayer for the Thessalonians
11 So
To this end (ESV)
With this in mind (NIV)
Paul had assured the Thessalonian believers of God’s promised justice for both them and their persecutors. (1:5-10)
6 In his justice he (God) will pay back those who persecute you.
7 And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted.
Simply put this means heaven for the believer and hell for the unbeliever.
“With this in mind”
After reminding you of all that Christ has done, is doing, and will do for you…
- Remember all that Christ has done, is doing, and will do for you.
We keep on praying for you,
Keep on praying
1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT
17 Never stop praying.
Luke 18:1 NLT
1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
Romans 12:12 NLT
12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
Colossians 4:2 NLT
2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.
Philippians 4:6 NLT
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
- Keep on praying for each other.
asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call.
This is a powerful prayer we can pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Reflect on:
Romans 8:30 NLT
30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
- Keep on praying for others, asking God to enable them to live a life worthy of his call.
1 Thessalonians 2:12 NLT
12 We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.
Ephesians 4:1 NLT
1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
Philippians 1:27 NLT
27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.
Colossians 1:10
10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
1 Thessalonians 4:7 NLT
7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.
- Live in a manner that is consistent with your calling.
“If you call yourself a Christian, live like a Christian.”
May he give you the power
Keep on praying
Worthiness is not self-produced. Paul prays that God would make the Thessalonians worthy of their calling.
Pray that God would give you the power to live and work in a manner pleasing to God.
- Christian growth, from start to finish, is God-enabled, not self-produced.
- Keep on praying for others, asking God to enable them to live a life worthy of his call. Pray that God would give them the power to live and work in a manner pleasing to Him.
Philippians 2:13 NLT
13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.
Question: What does your faith prompt you to do?
We must have a “desire for goodness.”
Have an active faith.
Reflect the character of Christ.
Persevere faithfully.
Perseverance in obedience despite opposition.
- Good intentions alone are not enough; God’s power must bring them to fulfillment.
Intensions become actions.
Faith does not remain merely internal but becomes visible.
True Christian works flow from faith. Faith is the root; works are the fruit.
Faith expressed through action.
James 2:17 NLT
17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored (glorified) because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him.
Christ is glorified in believers now.
Believers will be glorified in Christ fully at His return (v. 10).
- Jesus is honored when the endurance, faith, and obedience of believers visibly reflect who He is.
- Believers perseverance under persecution becomes living evidence that Christ is powerful, faithful, and worth trusting.
Jesus in You:
When you live a life transformed by grace, people see the “character” of Jesus in you.
You in Him:
- By glorifying Christ, the believer is elevated into His glory. It’s a reciprocal relationship where God’s grace is the beginning and the end.
How should we live?
Practice Biblical principles.
Sample verses:
1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT
31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Matthew 5:16 NLT
16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Romans 12:1-2 NLT
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
- Our ultimate goal should be Christ’s glory, not personal comfort.
This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.
All of this flows from God’s grace, not human merit.
