Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith.
2 Thessalonians 3:1-2
With what motive do we pray? In the life of Paul, he often found himself in places and times of persecution for the Gospel.* This is something that he shared with the Church in Thessalonica.*
Interestingly, Paul gives two reasons for asking for prayer from the Thessalonians: 1) that the Gospel would speed ahead and be honored, and 2) that they (Paul and his team) would experience deliverance from their enemies.
We know that Paul’s first point of prayer aligns with Scripture as Psalm 147:15 tell us,
He sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
Paul spent his life fixated upon and dedicated to the running of the Word to the world.* His prayer put this mission before his own salvation from his current peril. Despite his knowledge that deliverance would one day come in the return of Christ, Paul asks for deliverance from his enemies in the present.* But, is it okay to ask for deliverance from pain and trial? Paul did.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33,
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Sometimes we may think that suffering and persecution come as a package deal with the spread of the Gospel. While this is often true (Jesus promises that we will have troubles in this life), Paul models to us that it is neither unspiritual nor unholy to ask that the Gospel spread quickly while simultaneously asking to escape persecution.
As we pray and seek first the Kingdom of Heaven, we should put the spread of the Gospel ahead of our own comfort, but God cares about our comfort and safety as well. In this life, we will endure difficulty, but we can call out for deliverance. God cares.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to seek first His Kingdom. Perhaps today God wants you to call out to Him for deliverance. Maybe today God would have you pray for the deliverance of someone you know and love.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.
Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!
*Holmes, M. (1998). 1 and 2 Thessalonians (p. 256). Zondervan Publishing House.
Shogren, G. S. (2012). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (pp. 315–316). Zondervan.
Green, G. L. (2002). The letters to the Thessalonians (pp. 334–337). W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.
Kim, S., & Bruce, F. F. (2023). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (D. B. Capes, Ed.; Second Edition, Vol. 45, pp. 640–644). Zondervan Academic.
Morris, L. (1984). 1 and 2 Thessalonians: An introduction and commentary (Vol. 13, pp. 137–139). InterVarsity Press.
Beale, G. K. (2003). 1–2 Thessalonians (pp. 235–243). InterVarsity Press.
Weima, J. A. D. (2014). Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: 1–2 Thessalonians (R. W. Yarbrough & R. H. Stein, Eds.; pp. 584–588). Baker Academic.