Praying for the Church

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Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 (ESV)

 

11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 12 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.

 

Devotion:

 

            Today the church and the Christian religion are under attack more than they have been in recent memory. The freedom of religion, which has been a part of this country since the constitution was written, is being challenged in the courts with mixed results. There are college campuses where one cannot speak the name of Jesus without being harassed and silenced. Holding to the traditional teachings of the church is looked upon as regressive and bigoted. Many people who once had faith are now abandoning it as obsolete. What can the faithful do amid this trouble?

           

            In this scripture Paul was writing to a church that was in even more dire danger from the surrounding culture. Paul had just advised the church in verses that precede these verses to be strong and always hope in the return of Jesus that would put the world right again. Then he prays for them. A brief prayer but a powerful one. Paul prays that they would be full of strong faith and good works. The fruit of their labor would result in God being glorified by some in the surrounding culture, and in the salvation of their souls.

 

            Therefore, we should imitate Paul and pray for the church wherever we may be found. We pray that she will be a place of welcome and rest for the world. Pray also, that she would be a shining example of the love and holiness of Christ drawing all people to Jesus. In our world the sins of the church are magnified and broadcast in a steady stream of shocking news. May our prayer be that the world would know of the good that the church does.

 

            If the church will pray in this manner God may in his goodness and grace help the church to regain some of the ground, we have lost in the world. If God in his sovereign does not allow for his church to recover from its current state of disarray, we need not fear for we know that God will always be with His people for their salvation. Let us pray now that God may heal his church and make her strong to stand in this world.

 

Prayer:

           

            God, our heavenly Father we come to you today with troubled hearts and minds. The entire world and your church are not as they should be. Grant us as a church a heart to repent of our sin and walk humbly with our God. May our faith and works be for the glory of your name and the salvation of our souls. Grant to us the fruit of the spirit that will be known as your true children by the watching world. Amen.

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