2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s recorded prayers are very interesting. They reveal a great deal about him and his hope in Christ, which he desired to share with his spiritual children. This prayer starts with something he brought up in Ephesians 4:1, which I preached on recently, and that is being worthy of the calling God has given us. Actually, Paul speaks of our being called by God many times in his letters, and it’s obvious he was very deeply impacted by his own experience on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9) His was a very literal, verbal calling, such as few others have experienced. However, we are called no less than he was, even if our various experiences aren’t as dramatic as his was. Paul’s prayer here is that God would make us worthy of His calling. In ourselves we simply aren’t worthy, but God can and will make us worthy!　As worthy individuals, then, we are moved by faith to desire good, and we work toward that end, so Paul prays that our labors will be successful. It is from this point that the prayer really gets interesting. He ask these things for us with two goals: that the Name of Christ would be worshiped among us, and that we would receive glory in the Lord. I haven’t checked the Greek, but in Japanese, the expression for the Name of Christ being worshiped is exactly the same as that in the Lord’s Prayer, which in English we generally express as “hallowed by Thy name.” Our daily lives are to be channels for the fulfillment of the Lord’s Prayer! When that happens, we will receive glory. As human beings we tend to desire glory, but we usually go about it the wrong way. It is only when our focus is on Christ and serving Him that His glory is poured out on and through us. That’s quite a study in and of itself, but it’s far too much for here!

As I read Paul’s prayers I am forced to examine how I pray for others, and particularly for those in my flock. As much as I would like to, I can’t “fix” them or their circumstances directly, but I know the One who can, and I should pray accordingly. At the same time, I need to hold myself available as an instrument for the fulfillment of my prayers. Recently I’ve had feedback that indicates some “acts of kindness” have had an impact that wasn’t calculated on my part, but which accomplishes some things for which I had been praying. I am to be earnest in my prayers, but equally committed in my follow- through, not staying in my “ivory prayer tower” all the time, but not acting without praying, either. God is able to bring all things to completion, (Philippians 1:6) so I am not to be anxious about how things are going to happen, but trust Him in full obedience.

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness, in spite of all my weaknesses and failings. Thank You for the privilege of participating in prayer in what You are doing. I ask You to grow me more and more, both in prayer and in follow-through, so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!