Brethren, Pray for Us

Introduction

Paul has just finished exhorting the believers in the church at Thessalonica to stand fast in the faith relying upon God for the strength and courage to continue to stand.

Paul also recognized that there would yet be challenges ahead for he and his companions as they continued to carry out the work that God had called them to do.

As we begin chapter 3 of the epistle, Paul now requests that the Thessalonians would pray for them.

Paul was aware of his own weakness and knew that the prayers of the Thessalonian church would prove beneficial to he and his fellow laborers.

Paul requested that the church pray because he recognized:

The Power of Prayer

Paul was well aware of the obstacles and difficulties he and his companions would likely face and he knew that if they were to be successful at the work that God had called them to accomplish they would need people praying.

Over and over again the Apostle Paul would write to the churches asking them to pray for him and those who labored alongside him.

Romans 15:30- strive together prayers for me/ II Corinthians 1:11- helping together by prayer for us/ Ephesians 6:18-19- praying always for me/ Philippians 1:19- my salvation through your prayer/ Colossians 4:3- Pray for us/ I Thessalonians 5:25- Pray for us/

There can be no doubt that Paul owed a great debt to these churches who faithfully and frequently lifted him up in their prayers.

Often there would be men and women who would come to visit the Metropolitan Tabernacle where Charles Spurgeon pastored. Spurgeon would take them for a tour of the facilities and would often take them down into the basement to view the prayer room where there would often be scores of people on their knees interceding with God for the church. Spurgeon would often declare “here is the powerhouse of this church”

Like the Apostle Paul we must recognize the necessity of prayer if our church is to be successful in reaching our community for Christ it will require much prayer, if you and I are to be successful in the specific work that God has called each of us to do, it will require that we pray fervently for one another.

I deeply long for your prayer, and I hope that you are praying for our Sunday school teachers, our van drivers, our children’s church workers, our musicians and singers, and all who are laborers together with us in the ministry of High Plains Baptist Church.

Many are familiar with the name of Charles Finney, the great 19th century revivalist but few have ever heard the name of Daniel Nash. Finney credits Nash and a few like-minded men with his great success. Nash would often enter into a town where Finney was to hold a revival meeting days in advance and would fast and pray for God to bless the meetings. He would rarely attend the services himself, often choosing to prostrate himself before God in prayer as Finney preached.

There is yet a great need in our day for men and women who will be mighty in prayer crying out to God on behalf of those who labor for the Lord.

Paul had two primary requests that would instruct the praying of the believers in the church at Thessalonica.

He asked that they would:

Pray for Progress

It was Paul’s desire that the Word of God would continue to spread without hindrance or obstacle. He specifically asks the believers in Thessalonica to pray that the Word of God would continue to flow freely as he and his companions continued to proclaim it.

Paul and his fellow laborers were continuing to carry the Word of God into new territories and he was requesting that the Thessalonians would pray that the Word of God would continue to advance into these new regions of the world.

The Word of God had been steadily advancing throughout much of the known world and it was Paul’s desire that this advance would continue, but he knew that Satan would stop at nothing to hinder its advancement, so he asks that the church would pray for the continued spread of the Word.

In our world today there are regions where the Word of God is advancing while in other regions it seems to be retreating. We ought to pray that the Word of God would have free course, that it would spread throughout our community and throughout every region of the world and that there would be no hindrance to its advancement.

There are missionaries laboring here and abroad striving to get the Word of God to the people they have been called to reach. We ought to pray for them.

Each of us have a responsibility to carry the Word of God to those in our sphere of influence and we ought to be praying one for another that we might successfully spread the Word of God throughout our city.

Paul also asked the believers in the church at Thessalonica to pray that the Word of God would be “glorified” as it had been with them.

Paul is requesting that they would pray for a positive response to the Word of God among those who would hear it. The believers in Thessalonica had responded in faith believing the Word of God and by this the Word of God was glorified. It is Paul’s desire that the same would be true in every place where the Word of God was proclaimed.

Paul also asks the church at Thessalonica to:

Pray for Protection

Paul and his fellow laborers had already met with much persecution and opposition as they sought to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ at each stop along their missionary journeys.

Paul recognized that there would be those who opposed them and who would stop at nothing to hinder or stop them from continuing to proclaim the gospel.

His request is that the believers in the church at Thessalonica would pray for their deliverance from these who were the enemies of Christ and who would stand against the advancement of the gospel.

There are missionaries serving in foreign lands who are constantly threatened and often violently opposed. We ought to pray for their deliverance.

Even as we seek to proclaim the Word of God right here in America there will be those who will seek to hinder or stop the spread of the gospel and we must pray for the deliverance of our brothers and sisters in Christ who may be threatened or persecuted.

There are yet areas around the country where churches are being threatened and where preachers are being mocked and ridiculed for their desire to proclaim the Word of God. We must pray for their deliverance from the wicked leaders who would seek to silence these churches.

There have always been unreasonable and wicked people who seek to silence those who proclaim the message of the gospel and to stop those who strive to spread the Word of God.

We must never cease to pray for the deliverance of those who are being threatened and persecuted for sharing the gospel and the Word of God.

Paul was miraculously delivered on multiple occasions from those who sought to end his life and to prohibit him from continuing to preach the gospel. We must conclude that the prayers of the churches were a vital part of his deliverance.

We see a clear illustration of this principle in the life of Peter when he was imprisoned by Herod for preaching the gospel. Acts 12:1-5 & Acts 12:11-16

God is able to deliver in response to the prayers of the church.

Conclusion

We must remember that we stand in need of prayer if we are to be successful in the work God has called us to do.

We must also remember that we have a responsibility to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are faithfully serving the Lord and proclaiming the Word of God.

We ought to pray for the progress of the Word of God and that there would be a positive response to it among those who hear.

We ought to pray regularly and fervently for the protection of the men and women here and abroad who are dealing with opposition from the enemies of the gospel.