Speed Ahead

2 Thess. 3

Paul prayed and asked for others to pray that the word of the Lord would speed ahead and be honored. It had been thus so with the Thessalonians. He also asked for prayer that they would be delivered from wicked and evil men, men who would thwart the spread of the gospel, men who would seek to do harm to Paul and his crew. But even with these risks, Paul was confident that in faithfulness, the Lord would establish and guard the Thessalonians from the Evil One, and he would always pray in this way for the Thessalonians. Paul knew personally the great power of the Lord. He had seen it at work in his own life and in the lives of many others. The Lord had given Paul a feeling of confidence in his spirit that these people would grow, doing and willing to do the things that they had been taught. He knew that the Lord would direct their hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. What a wonderful prayer! And one that we could use for a model.  

I wonder in this age of computers and global communication, do we pray that the gospel would speed ahead and be honored. Certainly this is what we need! To speed ahead of all the foolishness and evil that resides on the internet! Do we ask prayer that we would be delivered from Satan, or do we just accept his influence as part of our daily lives, as part of our culture? Are we confident in the Lord that He has the power to establish and guard us protecting us from Satan, or have we been so blinded by human technology that we no longer see the power of God in the human heart? Do we personally know the power of the Lord in our lives and in the lives of others? Do we pray for ourselves and others that we would be directed to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ? Maybe we have not because we ask not! Perhaps we should be praying as Paul prayed, even using his exact words and desiring what he desired with our whole hearts.

Father,

I confess my lack of prayer and my lack of focus in prayer. I ask that you would direct me to Your love and to the steadfastness of Christ. I ask that You would speed the gospel around the globe and have it be honored as it should be. Give me godly confidence in Your great power.

In Jesus name,

Amen