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. 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. This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. 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, 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.
2 Thessalonians 1:3-12, ESV
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Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus, through who you adopted me as your child. May your name be praised and celebrated throughout the earth. I pray that today, on our sabbath, your church across the globe will lift up their eyes toward you and sing of your glory. I pray that pastor-teachers around the world will proclaim your word with faithfulness and passion.
Thank you for your faithfulness to those members of your church who are suffering through persecution. Thank you for being faithful to your word and calling out people from among every tribe and nation. So many societies make it a crime to worship you, and the people of those societies continue to build up more and more wrath from you. But, may you withhold your wrath as you call more and more people out from those nations; continue to save people from your wrath.
And for your children in those societies, continue to strengthen them and build in them the abundant faith to carry them through their trials. Continue to build in them love for their fellow believers and for their persecutors. May they live as witnesses to your love and mercy, and may they show your glory through their lives.
Father, when the time is right, send Jesus back to claim his bride. May everyone in the church look eagerly forward to that day. And until that day, let us make the most of every opportunity; let us live by your wisdom, not being filled by the world, but being filled by your Spirit. Let your church, today and every day, put aside the worries and cares of this world, and live by faith in you.
Amen.
Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus, through who you adopted me as your child. May your name be praised and celebrated throughout the earth. I pray that today, on our sabbath, your church across the globe will lift up their eyes toward you and sing of your glory. I pray that pastor-teachers around the world will proclaim your word with faithfulness and passion.
Thank you for your faithfulness to those members of your church who are suffering through persecution. Thank you for being faithful to your word and calling out people from among every tribe and nation. So many societies make it a crime to worship you, and the people of those societies continue to build up more and more wrath from you. But, may you withhold your wrath as you call more and more people out from those nations; continue to save people from your wrath.
And for your children in those societies, continue to strengthen them and build in them the abundant faith to carry them through their trials. Continue to build in them love for their fellow believers and for their persecutors. May they live as witnesses to your love and mercy, and may they show your glory through their lives.
Father, when the time is right, send Jesus back to claim his bride. May everyone in the church look eagerly forward to that day. And until that day, let us make the most of every opportunity; let us live by your wisdom, not being filled by the world, but being filled by your Spirit. Let your church, today and every day, put aside the worries and cares of this world, and live by faith in you.
Amen.
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