As Paul the
apostle came to the close of his first letter to the Thessalonian
church members, he included several short and yet important guiding
statements. Among them was the desire for the Lord to “sanctify”
them “wholly”, “and” he prayed that their
“whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In
chapter five and verse twenty-five, Paul asks the“Brethren”
to “pray for” him
and his companions where we read:
Brethren,
pray for us.
The
verse begins, “Brethren” which is the Greek word
“adelphos” and refers to “a brother or fellow believer who is
united to another by the bond of affection”. Paul deemed the
Thessalonian church members as “brothers” or “family”, and
through this endearing label he drew their attention toward his next
directive.
The
verse goes on to say, “pray for us.” Paul continued,
“pray” or “offer prayers, supplication and worship” “for
us” which refers to Paul himself and his traveling companions.
Paul knew the importance of having people pray for him and his
entourage.
When
we think through Paul's words, they may seem simple at first glance,
and often this type of statement is regarded minimally. Yet still,
this is one of Paul's most important directives. We should “pray
for” one another, and notice, this includes “supplication”
which is intensive prayer and concern for others. As we meditate upon
this, may the Lord Jesus through His Holy Spirit remind us of others,
and as He does, let us pray for them as brothers and sisters in the
Lord. Let the “family” of God call upon Him and manifest a life
of concern for others as Paul directed in this area.
Next
time Paul tells the Thessalonians how to “greet”
one another, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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