“And to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)

Such a simple sentence that says so much.  Be diligent, work for your own needs and stay out of other people’s business.  How much better we would all be if this were the case just in the church.  Of course, Paul means this as a part of the godly life and it is good advice.  Work on this so that you may learn the peace and quiet the Lord intends for your life.  Learn this so you will have the right attitude toward others.

Lord, this looks so easy, yet I find that I sometimes want others to do what I should do.  I sometimes poke into others business and let others do what I should be doing.  Teach me what it means to love You and my neighbor.  Teach me where to draw the line between remaining frugal and self-reliant versus being a part of the community and working together.  Teach me to not be in need but help others when I can.

Lord Jesus, while walking the earth You did these things.  Though You walked around, people came to You and, in one sense, not You to them.  You had all You needed and did not ask for things but gave to those in need.  Teach me how to properly behave toward You and others so that I may live the godly life You intend.  Lead me in the way You know I need to go and help me to go there.  Amen.

“Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more” (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10)

The Lord said that He would write the law on our hearts so that we need not be taught by anyone to love the Lord.  Indeed, the law is written on your heart.  Sadly, many ignore what has been written on their heart.  But you, listen to what the Lord says and no longer follow where you have been sinfully following, but listen to what He has written on your heart.  Seek first His righteousness and then all else will be added.

Lord, grant that I have discernment to know the difference between the heart in rebellion and what You have written on my heart.  Guide me in Your goodness to know the difference.  Lead me in the way of righteousness so that I may now and always be guided by You.  Help me to look to You as the source and norm of all goodness, knowing that Your grace is more than sufficient for me.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for guiding me in all goodness.  Help me to look to You as the model of the godly life and to follow Your lead.  The law has been written on my heart, so teach me how to listen in order that I may hear Your Word of command and obey You.  Through all things that come my way, lead me in the way of goodness and mercy all the days of my life until I see You face to face.  Amen.

“For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.  So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you” (1 Thessalonians 4:7).

Listen carefully here.  Some in the body have said that we are freed by Christ so that the law no longer matters.  While it is true that no infraction of the law will once again condemn us and that Christ died for all our sins, this does not mean that we can continue with indiscretion and infidelity.  The Lord freed us from sin, death, and the devil, so do not take up with any of these again.

Lord, I still want to do things the way I want to do things.  Take this from me so that I would do things the way You want me to do them.  Guide me, Lord, in the right way of life that I may humbly walk with You all the days of my life.  Lead me in Your goodness to see that in You is all hope and a future.  In You alone, Lord, do I have my being.  Let me remain with You and be content.

Lord, You know all of the things that tug at me.  You know the struggles that I have.  Guide me now and always, Lord, to walk as one who believes that You have come to eternally set me free.  Lead me in the way of life so that I would now and forever be guided by You in the goodness You have demonstrated.  Lead me, Lord Jesus, and teach me to follow Your example always.  Amen.

“Not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you” (1 Thessalonians 4:5-6).

Do your passions rule you?  Our culture accentuates feelings and passion, but they can quickly become mindless emotions.  Do not be ruled by how you feel, but by what is right and fitting.  Do not go the way of the world which tells you to always do what feels good.  Go the way of the Lord which directs you to be good.  This is a clear and distinctive way in which others can know you belong to the Lord.

Lord, guide me in the better and eternal way of life.  I can easily follow my heart, my feelings, my passions, but it is not as easy to do what is right.  Lead me, Lord, in order that I may walk humbly with You, my Maker.  Guide me in the right way of living so that I may learn and practice all that You command.  O Lord, You know all that is needed.  Provide all I need so that I may walk with You.

Lord Jesus, I know this is not optional, but a part of what You have come to accomplish in this thing we call salvation.  Yet, I have my part.  Let me not follow the constant noise of this world, joining in their ideas of the pursuit of happiness.  Instead, lead me today and every day to take seriously the admonition You give to humbly walk in Your example and way.  Help me to begin again this day.  Amen.

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;  that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4)

The particularity of your struggle may differ, but the goal is the same, that you are in Jesus and that He is in you.  The Lord has come so that you may be sanctified in Him.  The Lord has come that You may have life and have it abundantly.  Come then into the life of sanctification and no longer give yourself away to things that are less important.  Live as one who is chaste in the Lord and loving Him above all things.

Lord, You know where I break the law and do not do these things that You ask.  Help me, O Lord, so that I may be guided by You and know Your eternal goodness.  Let me not fall into the temptation of this world but be transformed in and through You.  Lead me now and always in this direction.  Show me the path that I must follow.  Open my eyes to know the difference with what is being spoken here.

Lord Jesus, I know I need salvation and that You are the Savior.  Help my timidity and unbelief so that I see more clearly each day what is needed to build on this relationship which You have established.  Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth.  You are the way of truth, for you are Truth.  Lead me now and always in the way You know I need to go and help me always to follow.  Amen.

“For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 4:2).

You know the commandments and you know they come from Jesus.  Do you know Jesus?  This is not to ask if you know about Jesus, it is to ask if you know Jesus personally.  We tend to play games with what we do and do not know.  The Lord has revealed Himself so that we might know Him.  In Him is life.  Not just knowing about Him, but living in Him.  This is an intimate proposition that is the Gospel and it is salvation.

Lord, You know where I am and the games I play with myself.  This world is filled with pretense.  We are concerned with what others think.  Help me, O Lord, to see through the pretense and realize the depth, power, and reality of the Gospel.  Guide me, Lord, in the way of truth in order that I may now and always be guided by You and You alone to live into the Good News of great joy.

Lord Jesus, You have invited me to live in a relationship with You.  You said that I should abide in You and You in me.  Guide me, Lord, to do just this.  Help me to see Your desire and intent as I study the law, not seeing this as some test, but as the way of living in relationship with You.  Guide me Lord, for You know the way I need to go.  Let me not be hindered by this world but transformed by You.  Amen.

“Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more” (1 Thessalonians 4:1).

Follow the instructions.  How simple is that?  Yet, what we often find is that the instructions are modified.  We question each step of the way as to why something should be as it is.  Why are we doing it that way?  Learn again to follow the instructions and if the Lord tells you to do something, receive it even if He says, “Because I said so.”  The Lord knows what He is doing.

Lord, I do not understand why I want to question everything.  Lead me, O Lord, so that I may always be guided by You.  Help me when I do not follow instructions to follow where You lead.  Guide me, Lord, in order that each day I would become more like what You have always intended.  In Your goodness, lead me into all righteousness through and with You.

Without You, Lord Jesus, it would be impossible.  That is why I must be saved.  Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth.  You are Truth and Your word is truth.  Guide me, Word of life, so that I would take on Your image and become like You.  Help me to simply follow the instructions You give and not argue with You each step of the way.  Lead me now and forever, Lord God, so that I would fulfil Your design for me.  Amen.

“So that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints” (1 Thessalonians 3:13).

“So that you may,” is the direction to which we are heading.  Do not think that somehow the ancient church accomplished this goal.  In eternity we shall be presented without spot or blemish, just as Christ was when He was crucified for us.  The journey of this life is one whose purpose is to put on Christ and become like Him.  We are to be wholly set apart for the Lord and live in Him.

Lord, You know where I am in this journey.  Help me to always see things in such a way that I know there is need to go farther, for in truth I know that I have many things in me which are not holy or blameless.  But some of those things are not as I imagine.  Help me to always look to You, for You are the finisher of my faith.  In You alone will all of this come to fruition.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way I need to go.

Today, Lord Jesus, be my complete guide.  In Your Spirit, lead me each step of the way so that I might be guided by Your example and in the way You have established.  Thank You for providing all that is needed.  Thank You for clearing the way so that all those who love You would be prepared to be with You forever.  Let me not rest until my time to sleep before the resurrection in order that I might be presented complete according to Your plan.  Amen.

“Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you” (1 Thessalonians 3:11-12)

The Lord commanded that we love one another and Him with all we are.  This has never stopped being the prime directive.  We are to love others as He first loved us.  We are to increase in love.  God is love and we were created in His image.  Therefore, increase in love and in the likeness of the Lord.  Know that He will accomplish this in all who love Him and believe in His promises.

Lord, continue to guide me in the way You know I need to go.  Help me now and always to see that in You there is all hope and glory.  Guide me, Lord, according to Your will and by Your Holy Spirit so that I would grow in love and therefore in Your likeness.  Let not anything hinder the way I need to go.  Lead me each and every day You give me to keep the prize in my mind and live according to the Father’s will.

Lord Jesus, You know all that is needed.  Through Your Holy Spirit, You know me better than I know myself.  Continue to lead me and remove from me all sin and from those acts by which I resist the cure that grace brings.  Guide me in all goodness to see that in You alone is there hope and the promised eternal future.  Do not let anything hinder the way I need to go.  Guide me now and always, Lord, to be in the Father’s will.  Amen.

“For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?” (1 Thessalonians 3:9-10)

All have places in their faith life where they are lacking.  We each need the help of the Lord and He often gives that help through others.  Be willing to receive what the Lord gives and be willing to receive those whom He sends.  Know that the Lord will not stop until He has done all that He intends to do that you, His bride, may be presented without spot or blemish on that day.

Do not resist the Lord, nor turn away from what He is doing.  Know that the Lord will accomplish these things according to His will. Come then and live in the hope He gives You and know that He will do all of this if You allow Him to. In this sense, the sooner the better.  Receive the earnest prayers of those who prayed for you and receive what the Lord will do for you in answer to those prayers.

Lord Jesus, You know how many over the years have been praying that I would live into this life of faith You have given me.  Do not stop until all the help I need has been given.  Then, turn me around and send me to help others in the way I have been helped.  Guide me to be a willing and freely-giving part of the bride You are shaping for eternity.  Lead me ever deeper in faith.  Amen.