The Framework of Prayer

In the coming months as we meet monthly to pray together I want us to briefly before each time spent in prayer to look at the prayers of Paul.

We will be doing that by using a resource called Praying with Paul by D.A. Carson. If you’d like to you can pick up a copy in the back and read with us so you will have a better idea what we will be studying each month.

This morning we will be looking at

2 Thessalonians 1:1–4 ESV

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

As we look at these verses I want you to notice a couple of things. What does Paul gives thanks for? What brings him joy? And what fills him with pride in a good way that is. That will be a theme as we look at Paul’s prayers. When we study the prays of Paul we are not looking at how he conducts his pray or how he constructs his sentences. We all pray a little different because we all talk a little different. I am unconcerned with that. However, What i want us to notice is this. What is the content of Paul’s prayer. What is he thankful for? What does he pray for and what does that tell us about his heart.

2 Thessalonians 1:3–4 ESV

3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

It seems like when I listen to people pray we often thank God for material blessing, health, and comforts. Now it’s not wrong to be thankful for these things. I’m very thankful that I have been blessed with many material blessings. I’m thankful that I am healthy, and I’m thankful that more often than not my life is comfortable.

But what we are the most thankful for is what we value the most.

What we are most thankful for is what we value most.

Now if people ask us what is most important to us we know the right answer. But I think our prayer life gives us away. What we pray for and what we thank God for reveals the secret of what we value most.

Does the content of our prayer show that we most value material blessing, health and comfort?

And What should we be most thankful for? What is Paul thankful for.

If you look at the verses we just read Paul gives thanks that his reader’s faith is growing and that their love is increasing.

Paul is most thankful for and therefore values most that their faith is growing and their love is increasing.

But we also see that Paul is boasting. He says that he boasts about them in the churches that he goes to. Well what does he boast in?

That they have remained steadfast under trials. The Thessalonians have endured many trials under intense persecution yet they have remained steadfast in their faith.

Paul isn’t praying that their trials leave or that their comfort will increase. He thanks God that their faith has grown, their love has increased, and he boasts that they have remained steadfast.

I also think it’s important that we see that Paul is thankful to see the evidences of GOd’s grace in the lives of other people.

Does it bring us joy when we see God working in the lives of others? Are we grateful to see other people growing in love and faith. Do we boast about others and how they have remained steadfast in trails.

Do we find as much or even more joy in the successes of others than our own success?

What does our prayer life tell us?

That’s my quick challenge to you this morning. Take stock of your prayer life. Not necessarily the amount of time spent in prayer. We could all pray more and I’m sure we will talk about that more later.

But this morning I want you think about the content of your prayers. Are they self centered or are they God centered and others focused?

Think about that this week. Think about what that tells you about what you value. Then ask God to help you value the spirtual lives of others more than your own comfort, health, and material blessings.