“But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you,  for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 3:6-8).

There is something to this idea of standing firm.  It is strange, but it often seems as though the church is looking for relevance when, in fact, it has the truth.  The world on the other hand seems to be bold in declaring it has the answer when it is always changing because it is spitting in the wind and listening to the wicked one who is chasing those of the world and whipping them up in a lather of frenzy while chasing everything and nothing.

Lord, You have spoken the word of truth once for all.  Help me see that truth clearly.  Help me to hear the truth plainly.  Help me to apply the truth as it has been applied over the ages.  Guide me so that I may be one who lives the way of truth and does not falter from humbly walking with You.  Your Word is truth and You have given Your Word in order that all who believe could walk in salvation.

Lord Jesus, Word of Truth, guide me today and everyday so that I would walk with You and apply all that You taught Your disciples to my life.  Let me be neither haughty, nor fearful, but firm in the conviction You have given me.  Your Word is truth and You have shown us the way to live.  You have provided grace upon grace in order that we would be free to live in the right way.  Lead me now, Lord, to live the life You have given me.  Amen.

“For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain” (1 Thessalonians 3:5).

Can a fellowship be led astray?  Read for yourself: yes, it can.  The tempter will temp with whatever can lead people astray.  Do not think it could not happen to you.  Look around you.  Many who once displayed faithfulness now act as if there were no faith at all.  This does not mean being paranoid, but only diligent and steadfast.  Hold to the truth delivered once for all in Christ.

Lord, where there are errors in my thinking, correct them.  Where I have wandered, bring me back to the safe ground.  Where I am waffling, show me the firm place to stand my ground.  Let my response be “no” every time to the tempter and “yes” every time to You.  You have bought me and brought me through grace to this place.  Guide me Lord in the way of truth You have established.

Holy Spirit, You know my heart and where I have wandered.  Keep bringing me back to the safe place established by Christ that I call grace.  Guide me in Your goodness to flee from the wicked one and run into Your arms of grace and mercy.  Through all things, help me to hold fast to the truth which has come down through the ages.  Be my guide and direction and keep me in the narrow way of truth.  Amen.

“For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know” (1 Thessalonians 3:4).

Have we not heard that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and the hope of Christ has therefore been poured into us?  Do not be surprised at the hostility in this world, for the world continues to hate the Lord.  Hear what is told you beforehand so that when it comes to pass you may stand firm in the faith that You have been given.

Lord, all things are in Your hands.  They always have been and always will be.  Lead me, O Lord, to not react to circumstances, but see that You are here with me.  Guide me Lord so that I may stand firm in the truth of Your presence and purpose.  In spite of what happens to me in this world, lead me to learn to be faithful in, through and above all things.  Whatever afflictions may come, guide me to hold fast to You.

Lord Jesus, You know affliction.  The world has hated You from the beginning.  But in You and through You the world is knitted together and has its being.  Let me no longer hold to this world but be transformed by Your goodness and mercy.  Lead me in Your grace to hold fast to You no matter what affliction comes so that I may now and always be known as one who believes in You and all that You have done.  Amen.

Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this” (1 Thessalonians 3:1-3).

We are a part of the communion of saints, the fellowship, those who are in the Lord.  We are called to live in and through our Savior Jesus Christ, doing what He gives us to do.  It is teamwork and we are to work together.  You are a part of the team.  What is it the Lord would have you do?  Live into the life to which you have been called through grace and know that in Him is all life and true liberty.

There are those, Lord, who have come as a part of a larger team and served so that I would hear the Gospel.  Lead me, O Lord, to not be cynical in this age of cynicism, but a willing participant in Your call of grace on my life.  Help me to live in the fellowship where You have placed me.  Teach me to do what You would have me do.  Through all things, guide me in this grace to serve Your church.

Lord Jesus, You banded together Your disciples and then sent them two by two into a hostile world.  Help me to see that I am never alone but guided by You and those whom You send in Your name.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way of truth so that I may now and always be guided by You in the way You would have me go.  Teach me to be faithful and to faithfully share the Gospel with others.  Amen.

“For we wanted to come to you – I, Paul, more than once – and yet Satan hindered us.  For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation?  Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?  For you are our glory and joy” (1 Thessalonians 2:18-20).

Do not focus only upon yourselves or what you are doing.  Instead, look to others and see what the Lord is accomplishing.  Do not be guided by the wickedness of this world but be transformed by the goodness of Christ in His mercy.  There are hindrances and the wicked one means them to stop you.  The Lord allows them to teach you to persevere.  Whom will you follow?  The wicked one or the Lord?

Lord, lead my life so that I would not be hindered by anyone or anything.  Guide me in Your goodness to see that in You alone is all hope and the glory of a life lived as You created it to be lived.  Let me be aware of Your presence, walking in this faith knowing that you are leading me.  Through all things, help me to know that it is You alone whom I serve.  I can do all things as You lead me to do them.

Lord Jesus, in You alone is all hope.  You have given grace upon grace and You have made possible the life of faith I have in You.  Lead me this day so that I would humbly walk in Your presence.  Guide me according to Your purposes in order that I would know more fully this day the truth You have revealed.  Let me be as Paul and the other disciples, giving witness of Your presence and purpose in my life.  Amen.

“But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while – in person, not in spirit – were all the more eager with great desire to see your face” (1 Thessalonians 2:17).

The communion of saints is a very real thing.  We are connected with other Christians in and through Christ.  Living in this reality is a part of the life of a follower of Jesus.  It does not matter if you do not “feel” it.  It is what the Word says.  Greater is He who is in us so that, in Him, we can do all things.  He will bring to pass all that He has promised.  Trust then in the Lord and walk always in His ways.

Lord, this world wants proof for everything.  The truth is, You have revealed Yourself to me and unless You do so for the one who wants proof, they remain blind and unable to see.  I do not know Your plans, so let me continue to shine the light You have given me.  Guide me in the way of everlasting life that I may now and always be guided by You and not by those who do not believe.

Lord Jesus, author of my faith, guide me today to humbly acknowledge that You are present.  Lead me to act despite how I feel so that I may do what is right and in accordance with the Word You have spoken.  In all things, guide me according to Your never-changing Word in order that I may now and always lead the godly life to which You have called me through the grace You have given me.  Amen.

“They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost” (1 Thessalonians 2:15b-16).

Do not imitate those who hate God.  There are many in this world.  They set the tone of culture and we are tempted to follow their lead.  Follow the lead of the Lord, not those who hate the Lord.  Do not listen to any who tell you anything contrary to the Gospel which you have received through Scripture.  Learn to hear and obey the Word of the Lord and know that in His goodness, He is the One who saves.

Lord, open my ears to hear Your voice.  Help me to be discerning so that I may recognize when those who hate You speak and help me to not listen to their vile words.  Through all things, guide me to be gracious even as You are gracious.  You know all that is needed and have already provided for every need.  Lead me in the way I need to go and then help me to to go there.

Lord Jesus, You have taught us that we are not to hate others.  Let me not hate any, even those who are opposed to You.  But let me also be discerning so that I would be firm in the faith You have given me.  Guide me according to Your purposes in order that I may be led by You in the way of truth.  Help me see more clearly that You alone have given the example of how to live life.  So, help me to live that life.  Amen.   

“For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out” (1 Thessalonians 2:14-15a).  

Tradition has always been a big part of how the church does what it does.  We do imitate someone as we move through life.  The question is, are we imitating the right things, or should I say, the right one?  Paul encourages us to imitate the church at ground zero, that is, the church which adapted what was done when Jesus walked the earth.  Remember, Jesus did not come to do away with, but fulfil what had been established.

Lord, let me neither shun all tradition, nor see tradition be my all in all, but let me not try to reinvent things so that I do nothing.  Guide me in Your goodness in order that I would hold fast to the truth You have revealed once for all.  Lead me in Your grace and mercy to do what is right always and imitate those things which are good. Show me what is good so that I may imitate it.

Lord Jesus, You said that only the Father is good, but You and the Father are One.  Lead me to imitate the goodness You demonstrated so that I may learn from You what is right behavior.  Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth and help me to learn to respect how things have been done by others.  Through all of this life, lead me in the upward way so that I may ultimately imitate You in order to become like You.  Amen.

“For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

For it truly is the Word of God.  How many in this world argue over whether or not they believe God has definitively spoken?  Look, either this is the Word of God, or else it is not.  If you do not believe, then leave well enough alone.  But if you do, well then, learn to listen, for God has spoken.  Anything short of not fully listening is disobedience.

Lord, You have opened my eyes to see and my ears to hear. The world tells me all kinds of things which are contrary to Your Word.  Let me hear as You speak and then respond to what You say.  Guide me in Your goodness that I would apply these things which You have given me to my life.  In You alone is all hope.  In You alone is salvation.  You have given us Your words of Law and Gospel.  Help me to apply them.

Lord Jesus, You have come speaking the Word of truth.  Guide me, O Lord, in all truth and help me apply Your truth in my life.  Let me be bold, but not arrogant.  Let me be forthright, but kind and meek.  Let me be what You intend so that Your Word would be fulfilled.  Teach me to reject the lies of this world and accept the truth which You speak.  In and through all things, speak to me that I may hear and respond in faith.  Amen.

“Just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12).

Walking worthy is not the same as being worthy.  One of the things Scripture reminds us of time and again is to begin the journey in faith as if.  As if we were worthy.  As if we were like Christ.  As if we were able to move mountains.  This is not a call to arrogance, but a call to being faithful.  Too many are intimidated by this world rather than standing boldly in the promise of Christ.

Scripture often reminds us to put on Christ.  We put on the One who will transform us from the old into the new.  This is a part of the process.  Be led by the One who leads and go where He leads you.  Know that in Him is all life.  In Him is liberty.  Be guided by the One who is more than able to grow you into His likeness.  He will make of you what He has always intended.

Come, Lord Jesus, and as I take You upon myself, hold me fast to the truth You have revealed once for all.  Guide me in Your goodness to know that You will accomplish what You have promised.  Lead me to understand that I can do all that You have promised because You have accomplished salvation for all who believe.  Bring me in faith to truly believe all that You have promised.  Amen.