Praying With Paul

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
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God's Word

Passage

1 Thessalonians 2:13-20

Prayer

Dear Father, real source of the Bible, Thank you for the word proclaimed in the New Testament. Help us accept it for what it really is, not mere words written by men, but the word of God, your will revealed to us and made alive in our lives. May Jewish members of your church bear a great witness to Jesus as their rightful Messiah. May non-Jewish members follow their example and be willing to suffer with them for the salvation of mankind, Jew and non-Jew. Father, be with those young disciples who have come to you through our efforts, even our own children. They will be our hope and joy and crown of boasting when Jesus returns, for we shall be together with them and with him. They will be our glory and our joy. In the name of Jesus we ask. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Care for Absent Loved Ones

Passage

1 Thessalonians 3:1-13

Prayer

Dear Father, our partner in caring, How hard it is to be far away from those we want to encourage to walk in your ways. We leave them in your hands, Lord, and ask you to send your angels to guard their ways. Keep those that we love from the power of the tempter. Grant us good news from them. We long to hear that they are learning more and more of your will and growing in your grace. Let us know that they are standing firm in truth. What thanksgiving we send before your throne, what joy we feel for them before you, our God. What a torrent of prayer we pour out before you that whatever is lacking in their faith may be supplied! Make us the agents who will supply their spiritual needs. Let there be many times for us and our loved ones to be together for times of refreshment in your word and in prayer. In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

God's Will: Sanctification

Passage

1 Thessalonians 4:1-7

Prayer

Dear Father, sanctifier of families, Help us to learn how we ought to live and how we ought to please you. Help us give greater attention and effort to this. Your will for us is our sanctification, so enable us to abstain from all immorality. Many people around us glorify and romanticize lust. Help us to reject this way of looking at things. Guide believers into marriages of holiness and honor, giving themselves to each other in spiritual union with Christ along with the joining of personalities and bodies. Help our marriages to be established as the gathering of two in your name. Help our families to be your church in miniature. Help every follower of yours respect the marriage relationship of others and defraud no one in this matter. You have not called us to uncleanness, but holiness. Thank you, Father, for this high calling. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

God's Will: Perfect Love

Passage

1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

Prayer

Dear Father, perfecter of our love, Don't ever let us disregard you or your Holy Spirit, which you give us. Give us perfect love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Let this teaching of yours fill our minds. Let this love among us grow more and more, every day and in every way. May we aspire to live quietly, to mind our own affairs, and to work with our hands or our minds, so that we may be dependent on no one and command the respect of those outside your family. May that respect lead them to listen, to heed, and also to become your children. In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Coming Reunion

Passage

1 Thessalonians 4:13-15

Prayer

Dear Father, comforter of the bereaved, On the death of our dear loved ones in Christ, may we comfort one another with thoughts of a glorious reunion. Help us not grieve as those who have no hope. Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, you will bring with you at your coming those who have fallen asleep. We place our trust in you for ourselves, too, for we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep, but will share in their rapturous blessing. In the name of our conquering and returning Savior. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Caught Up and Comforted

Passage

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

Prayer

Dear Father, who lifts our spirits, According to your teaching, we look for the Lord himself to descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. We firmly believe that the dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we, they and us, will be with the Lord and with you forever. Guide us to comfort and console one another with these words. Help us remember that our faith is the victory that overcomes the failure, sin, sickness, and death of this world! In the name of our conquering and returning Savior. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Preparedness

Passage

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Prayer

Dear Father, Grant that we may live as sons of the light and daughters of the day. Grant that we may understand the prophecies of Jesus and his servants regarding the day of the Lord. Help us to stay awake, to be sober, to be ready. Clothe us with the breastplate of faith and love. Protect us with the helmet of salvation! We thank you, Father, that you have not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we wake or sleep, we might live for him. Grant that we may encourage one another and build one another up through these words and through sharing our faith. In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Esteem, Peace, and Help

Passage

1 Thessalonians 5:12-15

Prayer

Dear Father, patient one, Give us hearts that gladly show respect for those who labor among us and who lead us and admonish us in the Lord. Fill us with great esteem and deep love for them because of their work in the Lord. May we always be at peace among ourselves. Keep us from being idle or faint-hearted. May we admonish and encourage those who are. Help us help those who are weak and to be patient with everyone. Let none of us repay evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Joy, Prayer, the Spirit's Fire

Passage

1 Thessalonians 5:16-23

Prayer

Dear Father, holy God, Help me always to be joyful and to pray continually, giving thanks to you in all circumstances, since this is your will for me in Christ Jesus. May I never put out the Spirit's fire in myself. May I never be contemptuous of the prophetic word and the interpretation of it. But let me test everything I hear. Help me hold on to what is good, and to avoid everything that is evil. May you yourself, Father, make every part of me holy. In the name of your Holy Son, Jesus, who gave us the Spirit, I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Presentations

Passage

1 Thessalonians 5:23

Prayer

Dear Father, all honor to you, I present my body to you, O Lord. Give it health, energy and stamina. Give it healing, as needed. I present my soul, my personality to you, my God. Impress on it the characteristics that honor you and are pleasing to other people, for their good. I present my spirit to you, dear God. May I be wholly joined to you, one spirit with the Lord. In Jesus' precious and glorious name. Amen.

[nChrist]

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Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Soul, Body and Spirit

Passage

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Prayer

Dear Father, all worthy God, Please give me the mind of Christ so that my body may be a temple of the spirit of holiness which is his. May you yourself, O Father, make me holy through and through. May my whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless by your power at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I trust you to do this because you are the one who has called me, and you are faithful. Your word says that you will do it! By the authority of Jesus and in his name I ask for this growth in grace. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Evidence of Righteousness

Passage

2 Thessalonians 1:3-12

Prayer

Dear Father, Thank you now, and every day, for every loyal soul whose faith is growing abundantly, whose love for others is increasing, whose stance is steadfast, and who endures in the face of persecutions and afflictions. May they take their experience as evidence of your righteous judgment - that you are making them worthy of your kingdom, for which they are suffering - that you will reveal your wrath, not against them, but against those who trouble them and who do not know you and who refuse to obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. We believe in this Jesus and come to you through him. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Make Us Worthy

Passage

2 Thessalonians 1:3-12

Prayer

Dear Father, almighty God, Hasten your coming, that glorious time when even those who already believe will marvel at your greatness. We have believed. We now believe. We intend to keep on believing. Mighty God, make all of us worthy of your call. Fulfill every good resolve and work of faith by your power. Let the name of Jesus be glorified in us, and us in him, according to that grace which comes from you and the Lord Jesus. In his name I pray. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Christ Is Coming

Passage

2 Thessalonians 2:1-17

Prayer

Dear Father, righteous one, Keep us from being led astray by misapplications of prophecy. Help us to understand the things you teach in your word about the consummation of Christ's victory against lawlessness. Keep us from believing in pretended signs and wonders and wicked deception. Guard our minds that we should believe your truth and our hearts that we should take pleasure only in righteousness. Thanks be to you, our God, that you chose us from the beginning to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief of the truth. In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.

[nChrist]

________________________________
Praying With Paul
by Eldon Degge, Heartlight Magazine
Free By RSS News From Heartlight
________________________________

Eternal Comfort

Passage

2 Thessalonians 2:1-17

Prayer

Dear Father, Thank you for calling us to salvation through the Good News of Christ, so that we may obtain the glory of the Lord Jesus. Help us to stand firm and hold fast to the traditions of your holy apostles. May the Lord Jesus Christ himself, and you, our Father, who loved us and gave eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort our hearts and establish them in every good work and word. In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.