Category Archives: Prayer

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QUICKLY NOW


2 THESSALONIANS 3:1

“Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you;” 

Have you ever been told to “hurry up”?  I have been a few times. I remember in one of my first jobs in my hometown of Pelham, GA I had a boss who did not like you to “dawdle about.” He insisted that you stay busy and do the job quickly and efficiently.  He didn’t want us wasting time.

I thought of that when I read this verse because the phrase “spread rapidly” comes from a word that means to run with speed. It was used to describe runners in a race. Paul is asking the Thessalonians to pray that the Gospel would spread that quickly, that it would win the race, that it would reach its end result without delay.

APPLICATION

I bet you have never had to tell your children to hurry up, have you? Only about a million times, right? Be careful hurrying your children too much. Let them be kids. Let them enjoy their childhood. But when it comes to the things of the Lord, don’t let them “dawdle”, as my boss used to say. The things of the Lord need to be taken seriously. Time is hastening. The Lord is going to return. We need to be ready and make sure our children are also.

What does that mean? I am not talking about being in an apocalyptic mood all the time. But I am saying that we should not waste time on things that are simply temporal and of this world. We need to teach our children that every day is important to the Lord. Every day gives us a new opportunity to share the Gospel with someone. Run the race.

Are you too busy chasing the wrong things that you forget to run the important race? You should stop right now, wherever you are, and evaluate your race. Are you running to win or just finish? God wants us to run well, not just run. He wants us to be quick about it. Don’t sit around waiting for someone else to spread the Gospel. Get out there. Run quickly.

Father, forgive me for being seemingly unconcerned about the shortness of the time. Help me redeem each minute and count it worthy of service to You. I will commit to being more bold today in sharing the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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I PICK YOU


2 THESSALONIANS 2:13

“But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” 

Those are God’s words to us – “I chose you.” Now, I am not going to get in a discussion about predestination. I am just looking at this verse.  God chose you from the beginning for salvation. Don’t you love being picked by someone. I used to love being picked for a team. No one wants to be left out. The good news is (drumroll please) God chooses EVERYONE! His will is that all men be saved.

“Okay then, Carl, why do some people die and spend eternity in hell?” Because they chose THAT. That’s right! Even though God has chosen them for salvation, they turned their back on Him and decided to go their own way. This choice sealed their fate. It wasn’t God who sent them to hell. Nope! He has chosen them for salvation, which they rejected.

APPLICATION

Do you give your kids choices? I hope you do. They need to learn early how to make choices. Nothing is worse than to see an adult who can make a decision. Agreed? So, let your children make choices. But here is the hard part. You need to let them also accept the consequences. Every choice has a consequence. Some are good, and some are bad.

If you rescue your children from every consequence, they will never learn the power of choice. And you must teach them that. Remember that you are preparing them for eternity. While most of their choices aren’t eternal ones, they are learning from each one they make. They will never make a more important one than accepting God’s free gift of salvation.

I pray you know Him personally. I pray you have accepted His choice of you. If you haven’t, do that today. Don’t make the other choice of not accepting His choice of you. He wants you to come to Him. He wants you to spread this news to everyone you know. Do that today.

I accept Your choice of me, Lord. I want to be Yours. I am thankful You chose me from the beginning.

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IT MAY FEEL GOOD, BUT…


2 THESSALONIANS 2:12

“in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”

We all like pleasure. For some it’s a day at the beach. For others it is a long run (no, that’s not me). But others take their pleasure in wickedness. I know it may be hard to believe, but there are really people out there who do. I don’t know any personally, but they are all around us.

Sadly, we think they are getting away with their pleasure seeking. We see them hurt others and thrive on it. Today’s verse, however, assures us that one day, they will be judged for these evil motives. They will receive exactly what they deserve for ignoring the truth and going their own way.

APPLICATION

This is exactly why we parents spend so much time teaching our children to choose the truth. We do not want them to go down that road of wickedness. Now, I am not against pleasure. Pleasure is not a bad thing. I take pleasure in serving others. I get pleasure is seeing God’s principles followed by a husband and a father.

Truth is the key. Teach our children to follow the truth of the Gospel. They have to understand that there is no other truth. Any other “truth” is really deceit which will lead them further away from the real truth. Confused yet? I hope not. Take the Word of God each day and share it with your children, always referring to it as the truth. 

Let me ask you a question. What are you pursuing today? Truth or wickedness? If you are pursuing anything other than truth, you will never experience true pleasure. It is only available in its purest form through the truth of God’s Word.  Let it make your life pleasurable as only the Lord can do.

Lord, I want to walk in truth so I can experience pleasure. The pleasure I desire is to please You, not myself. That’s my goal today.

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BAD BREATH

2 THESSALONIANS 2:8

“Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;” 

Excuse my thought process, lol. But I just could not resist when I read this verse. I am NOT insinuating that the Lord will have bad breath. But, unlike His first appearance on earth, He will be one “bad” dude when He returns. He won’t come as baby. He will come as Ruler and Judge. And this lawless one will pay the price simply by the breath of His mouth.

Now, that word “breath” is the Greek word pneuma, which can also be translated as spirit. In fact, it is the same word used in the title of “Holy Spirit.” I don’t think that is a coincidence, do you? The very breath of God, the very Spirit of God will slay the lawless one. No weapon is needed.

APPLICATION

Here is the great part of that verse. That same “breath” of the Lord is living in us as believers. We have that power coursing through us every day, if we just tap into it. Now, we aren’t going to slay someone with our breath (unless we have been eating a lot of garlic). But the Lord stands ready to defeat any enemy we face. All we have to do is mention His name, and the enemy flees.

We need to teach our children the importance on relying on the Lord to fight their battles. Surrender to Him first, allow Him to work in their lives, and He will stand ready to defend us. He will protect His children, just you do all you can to protect them as their earthly parent. The difference is you can’t be with them all the time. He can and will.

Are you in need of the “breath” of God today? Are you facing unknown forces that are trying to tear you down and destroy you? Allow Him to reign in and through you. Then step back and watch Him work. He is ready. Are you?

Your breath is sweet to me but harsh to the unbeliever. Help me share your breath with others. I want them to also experience its sweetness. 

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HIS GLORY

2 THESSALONIANS 1:12

“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 theLord Jesus Christ.”

Some people just glow for Jesus. You can tell they are believers the moment you meet them. Their smile, their countenance and their demeanor all exemplify Him. He is being glorified through them. I love watching for that in people I meet for the first time. I like to look for an opening in the conversation to ask about their personal relationship with our Lord.

Paul’s prayer, which he began in verse 11, continues here. This is the reason why he prayed for those things. His sole purpose for praying for the Thessalonians is so the Lord would be glorified in and through them. Shouldn’t that be our desire for ourselves and others? Shouldn’t we want others to see Jesus in us?

APPLICATION

Little Gertrude and Elrod will watch how you respond to people. I guarantee you that. When you respond like Jesus, they take note of that. When you talk like Jesus, they listen. When you reach out to someone like Jesus, they will file away that moment. We are the ones who must exemplify Jesus to point our children to Him. 

So, ask yourself, “As a parent, am I glorifying Jesus in my everyday life?” If you aren’t, you need to start, for your children. When our children hear us talk about Jesus but never see us live for Him, they get a very confusing message. That confusion can lead to rebellion and on to denial. Be the vessel of glory He wants to use.

But being used as a vessel of glory means we may have to let some stuff go. We can’t very well be glorifying Him and participating in behaviors which Jesus would NEVER do. I don’t have to name these. You know them. Let go of those habits or activities that cannot be attributed to Him. He will show you what and how to live to give Him glory. Just be willing to be used. He will do the rest.

Here I am, Lord. Take me and use me however You desire. I want others to see You in me.

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A GREAT PRAYER

2 THESSALONIANS 1:11

“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,” 

Do you ever tell people you are going to pray for them? Come on, do you? I am sure you do. But do you actually remember to do it? I started a practice years ago that when someone asks me to pray for them, if at all possible, I do it right then. I tend to forget things, and I don’t want to forget to pray for someone who has asked me to pray for them.

Paul was always praying for others. Look through his letters and you will find time and time again when he tells the recipients of the letters that he is praying for them. Today’s verse is one of those times. And it is a good one. He is praying 1) that God would count them worthy of their calling, 2) that God would fulfill every desire for goodness and 3) that God would also fulfill every desire for the work of faith with power. Wow! That’s a great prayer!

APPLICATION

We need to teach our children to pray. But don’t waste time with trivial prayers. Now, hear me out. I don’t mean prayers are trivial, but if you are going to teach them to pray, make sure they understand that they can pray with power, believing God hears and will answer. Pray with purpose. Pray with passion. Pray with broken hearts for a lost world.

Do you get my meaning? Our prayers should be meaningful, not just going through the motions to check off a box at the end of the day. Paul prayed with purpose for his spiritual children. We should do the same. And as we teach our children this privilege, they will in turn teach their children to pray this way. Now that’s a legacy to leave. Amen?

Are you praying with purpose for others? Are you claiming victories in prayer? Are you teaching others that prayer is powerful and meaningful? Do that today. Practice that today. Live it today.

God, I know You are listening each time I open my mouth to talk to You. Teach me to be bold in my prayers. Teach me to ask for exactly what I want from You according to Your will.

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WORTHY TO SUFFER

2 THESSALONIANS 1:5

“This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.” 

Did you catch that? Because they were suffering, they were worthy of the kingdom. Now, wait just a minute Paul. That’s not what I expected when I got into this Jesus stuff. I thought He would just forgive me of my sins, and I would go on living a perfect life. That’s the problem most of us have. We want to live for Jesus until it requires suffering or persecution. Then it’s too hard.

The phrase “considered worthy” is only used three times in the New Testament. In all three times, it refers to suffering or death. It means to be weighed accurately. In other words, God has you on a scale and finds that you measure up to this. He won’t put more on the other side of the scale than you can handle. He knows your limits, so just trust Him.

APPLICATION

Children don’t know their limits of suffering yet. They have to experience pain and suffering before they know how much they can take. I remember when I was in high school, I broke my ankle at football camp. I walked on that ankle for a week and half before I knew it was broken. I just dealt with the pain. I discovered then that I have a pretty high pain tolerance. 

But physical pain is a lot different than emotional or mental pain. There are all kinds of suffering. Your children will face a multitude of opportunities to “suffer” for Jesus. If you will teach them to trust Him, they will be able to endure the sufferings that come their way. As they watch you endure, they will learn.

Are you going through a time of suffering right now? Thank the Lord for the opportunity to trust Him. Let Him know right now that you are His to mold and make into whatever He chooses. I promise if you trust Him, you will come out the other side of this suffering a more useable vessel. He always perfects. He never condemns.

Knowing You are in control of my every suffering gives me peace. I trust You, Lord, to teach me through my sufferings. I count it a privilege to considered worthy of suffering for You.

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INSTANT REPLY

2 THESSALONIANS 1:1

“Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:” 

Most scholars agree that 2 Thessalonians was written very shortly after 1 Thessalonians and was a reply to the reply Paul had received from the church about his first letter. Have you have done that? You text or email someone, and after they reply back to you, you reply back to them. That’s what this is except it was done by letter and a messenger (not Instant Message, lol).

Whatever stirred his heart to write again, Paul still held these believers as dear to his heart. He cared deeply about them and wanted to make sure they had the correct understanding of their position in Christ. Silvanus and Timothy are still with him in Corinth, so he includes them in the opening. They all cared for this young, fledgling church.

APPLICATION

We should show our children the importance of communicating clearly for the sake of Christ. When we hear of someone we know who is not walking with Christ, we should talk with them. If we really love them, we don’t want them to continue down a path that will take them further away from Christ. We should have an instant reply.

“But Carl, they may get mad at me.” So what! Isn’t it better for them to get mad at you than to not say something and watch them go off the cliff? If you are replying in love to them, they will know it. Just like Paul, respond for their good.

Is there someone in your life right now whom you need to approach in love and steer back on the right course? Do it in love. Do it quickly. Just do it. Don’t sit back and watch them follow the wrong person or do the wrong thing without at least confronting them. Let the Holy Spirit tell you when and what to say.

O Lord, I am thankful I have people in my life to confront me when I am off course. Help me do the same without the fear of rejection. I truly want those whom I love to follow You.

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LAST WORDS

1 THESSALONIANS 5:28

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”

Paul ends all his letters mentioning grace. It was his typical closing in which he wished upon the reader grace from our Lord Jesus Christ. It was his way of saying “goodbye.” What better way than to wish God’s grace on someone. It blesses that person as they are finishing the letter.

Saying goodbye can be hard sometimes. It is especially hard if you think you will never see that person again on this side of eternity. I travel to Uganda and Kenya every year to train Pastors. I have gotten to be close friends with several of those Pastors in both countries. Sometimes our goodbyes can last quite a while. But I know I will see them on the “other side.”

APPLICATION

Teach your children to think about these words of Paul when they say goodbye next time to someone. Teach them to bless others with more than just a few simple goodbyes. Teach them to lift up a prayer for them as they are saying goodbye. Teach them to ask the Lord’s blessing on them as they hug them.

Most importantly, teach your children to think eternally with each goodbye. Have them ask themselves, “Is this person going to be in heaven with me?” If they aren’t sure, they should ask them. Children can reach people sometimes that we adults could never get through to. When a little seven or eight-year-old asks you if you are going to heaven, most adults will answer them. They might get offended if we ask that, but not from a child. Your child could be your secret weapon, lol.

Let me encourage you to say goodbye differently next time. Use Paul’s words. Say to them, “May God bless you as we part with His grace and love.” You may get a raised eyebrow, but I bet they won’t soon forget those words.

Give me the words, O Lord, to say goodbye in a way that honors You and points others to You. May my goodbyes really be just “see you later.” See You later, Lord.

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OUR DUTY

1 THESSALONIANS 5:25

“Brethren, pray for us.” 

Paul was a man of prayer. That is obvious as you read through all his epistles. He tells us over and over to pray for each other. He writes down prayers that he is praying for the recipients of the letters. And here in verse 25, he does it again. He commands the Thessalonians to pray for him and his companions.

Why would Paul ask for prayer? I thought he had it all together. He was chosen by the Lord to take the Gospel to the Gentiles. Surely, he had God’s blessing. Why would he need prayers? Because he knew the power of prayer. He knew what could be accomplished when brothers and sisters in Christ came together in agreement to the Father. He desired that from them.

APPLICATION

Okay, here’s another easy application. Pray with your children. Do it daily. Help them formulate a prayer list to pray through. I have a daily, weekly and monthly prayer list. It is a privilege to pray for others. Lifting others up to the Lord in prayer gives me joy. Having a part in their journey as I pray encourages me to live my life pleasing Him.

It is so important to teach our children to begin with confession of their own sins so the Lord can forgive them and allow us to petition Him for others. Confession clears the “prayer line” to the Lord. Then we can come before Him with our requests for others and ourselves. But teach your children to pray for others first. God, I believe, will honor that.

For whom are you praying today? Do you have lost family members? How about sick friends? Come before the throne of God today and lift them up to Him. Come with a grateful heart. Come with a broken heart. Let the Lord use you in the lives of others through your prayer life. You may just be surprised who is praying for you.

Today, Father, I lift up all my lost family members and friends. I pray for their salvation. Draw them to You in a powerful way.

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