In 2 Thessalonians 3:1 the Apostle Paul told the church at Thessalonica, “Brothers, pray for us.” It was a straightforward, simple statement but one that was communicated from a position of great need. It is echoed in Romans 15:30 “Strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.”
Paul had all of the natural resources that he needed. He had wonderful gifts and talents. He had a brilliant mind and great tenacity. Yet he was pleading for prayer.
Pray for us, he wrote. Why?
1) What matters the most in Christian ministry cannot be accomplished in the flesh. We are reliant on the power of God.
I Corinthians 15:10 By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
I am mindful that I am limited, very limited in my own strength. Yet God’s power is without limits. He is the One who calls us to the task at hand, and then empowers us to accomplish it.
2) God in His sovereignty has ordered His plans so that prayer makes a difference.
2 Thessalonians 3:1 Pray for us that the Word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified.
It is part of the sovereign plan of God to accomplish His work through the prayers of His people. I have often heard it said, “There is power in prayer” but I disagree with stating it that way. God has the power, but He has chosen to work through the prayers of His people, which in turn make prayer powerful because God is powerful.
Colossians 4:3-4 Pray for us that God will open up to us a door for the Word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.
I am thankful for the prayers of God’s people. I covet the prayers of God’s people. Serving the Lord effectively and faithfully takes clear focus and great resolve. Let us pray for one another as we seek to do the will of the Lord!
