Are We Praying For Precious People? (1 Thessalonians 1:2)

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Are We Praying For Precious People? (1 Thessalonians 1:2)

GIST: Relationships are a gift from God, so praying for the people in our lives should be natural.

Today, we’re continuing our study in 1 Thessalonians. On Wednesday, Gary jokingly asked me if we were going to get through verse two this Sunday. My response was… well at least that one. ☺️

Before studying this letter in preparation for going through it with you, I didn’t really think too much about how much is packed into each section. But that’s how Paul writes. Inspired by the Holy Spirit to send these letters to the early Christians, he wastes no words… which is awesome. However, it also means a lot of the verses are packed!     

After addressing the letter to a group of people who have just recently accepted Christ against the pressures of their culture, Paul writes to encourage them to remain faithful. That first bit of encouragement comes in these words:

 

“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers”

Full disclosure, we’re not going to walk through only one verse per week for the entire study. In fact, next week, we might get through two ☺️ (Update: that is actually looking progressively less likely ☺️…).  However, sometimes it is worth slowing down, especially on parts like this that are typically skimmed over, and really digest what they mean for our lives. 

Within the past year, my family has lost five people for whom we cared deeply. Two of those losses have come within the last two months. Losses like this are hard because of love. Indifferent loss doesn’t hurt, but intimate loss leaves a lasting impression.

Stepping back and reflecting on the memories I carry with me, I’ve felt a lot of emotions. It would probably be very pastoral to say all those feelings have been positive. They haven’t. I still regret words never spoken and opportunities squandered. Yet, I am, by God’s grace, ever more aware that these relationships were precious gifts from God, so gratitude is settling in as the lingering sentiment. 

When Paul was writing the Christians in Thessalonica who had been miraculously saved by Jesus’ grace, his correspondence jumped very quickly to thanksgiving. He remembered both the gift of their salvation and the joy of their fellowship was God’s provision. The intimacy this then created led to continuous and compassionate intercession. And that’s kind of our gist for this morning: Relationships are a gift from God, so praying for the people in our lives should be natural. This, in turn, has led me to ask two questions this week I want to share with you as well: 1. Do I actively thank God for the relationships in my life?, and 2. Do I pray constantly for the people in my life?

I. Relationships Are A Gift From God

There are two quick observations I want to make here. In the context of this entire chapter—and we’ll see this very clearly in the next few weeks—Paul is thanking God for both their salvation and their fellowship. 

Both of these are important to remember. First, when people are saved, this is the result of God’s work in their lives. I know I make this remark often, but we have to remember, we don’t save people. The burden rests not on my cleverness or persuasiveness. It is the Holy Spirit working in hearts and people receiving His gift of salvation. When we see people saved, we should thank God for that! Likewise, God brings people into your life on purpose. This isn’t the result of chance or your charisma either. Which leads me to→

Question 1: Do I actively thank God for the relationships in my life? There are no accidental encounters. Life is purposeful, and the people we’re surrounded by are here on purpose. Yes, these will come in a variety of packages—some more pleasant than others—but none are meaningless. As Paul wrote to a group of believers with whom he had only spent about three weeks of his life, he was nonetheless incredibly thankful for the impact of those weeks. He knew it was God working both in their hearts and his that led to their salvation and the beautiful fellowship they experienced. Even after being separated from them by force, this truth continued to permeate his thinking, and he continued to be grateful.

I think about a lot of things. You do too. From my experience being around people pretty much all the time, I’ve found that though we are admonished again and again in Scripture to let the good and perfect gifts of God be what consumes our thoughts, we tend instead to dwell deeply on all the “junk” that comes our way while often only appreciating goodness when it comes in the form of grief. I know this is how our world functions. I know this taints the conversations around us. Yet, we can be different. We can thank God for the blessings of people now—while we’re still experiencing them—and let those thoughts flood our hearts. If we look at our relationships through the lens of “God is doing something here”, it should dramatically change the way we live life together.

II. So Praying For The People In Our Lives Should Be Natural

Let’s just jump straight into→ 

Question 2: Do I pray constantly for the people in my life? Of course, I could broaden that question to ask if I pray constantly for anyone or anything, but I’ll save that conviction for another day. The fact is I know I don’t even pray for the people I love near as much as I should. Oh, it would be awesome to try to sugarcoat this, but I can’t. Paul knew these people for three weeks and prayed for them… all the time. Why? Because that’s what the love of Jesus should do to our perspectives if we let it. 

I was listening to comedian Michael Jr. a few years ago share a testimony about a time when he found himself the victim of injustice. What he went through was bad, but in the middle of that trial, he encountered someone else who needed help. It would have been easier to just sulk, but he chose to step into her pain and help carry that burden. Immediately, he noticed his bitterness and frustration lessen as his perspective went from anger to compassion. His heart was changed, and so was her life.

See, it is really easy to get very self-focused. I’m as guilty of this as anyone. When we live like that, our bubbles are popped very easily. Everything becomes a huge weight on our shoulders because we’re living with blinders that only see what’s right in front of us. What if every day we spent time praying for the needs of those precious people God has put into our paths? All the sudden, our perspective broadens. We see that there are hurts and needs outside our own, AND we get to be part of what God is doing in the life of someone else! That places us soundly in the middle of His will (because we’re following His heart of compassion), which draws us near to Him… and all the sudden mountains don’t seem just insurmountable, and valleys don’t seem as dark. I know I quote this all the time, but it’s just so powerful: when you turn your eyes upon Jesus, the things of earth grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. When we orient our hearts toward praying for others, we’re turning our hearts toward the compassionate heart of the Savior who so loved the world that He came and took on Hell in our place, rising again to rescue us from the destruction of sin!

Yeah, I know, this one hits my toes too.  Let’s ask ourselves these questions again in our→

TAKEAWAYS

1. Do I actively thank God for the relationships in my life?

2. Do I pray constantly for the people in my life?

The passage today was shorter again, so let’s take a moment to do what we usually don’t have time to do—intentionally pray together for a moment. 

First, I just want you to take a few minutes and thank God for the relationships you have. There might be many you don’t have. If you’ve loved and lost, thank God for those moments. If you’re longing for a relationship you don’t currently have (be that friendship or romance), thank God for the people in your life who have shaped you into who you are now, and thank God for the plans He still has.

Now, take a few moments to pray for the people in your life. Yes, you can lift up their physical ailments, but go deeper than that. This life is hard. Living for Jesus in this life is even harder. Yet, being the God of relationships, He is the one they need more than anything else. If they are lost, please pray for their salvation. If they are saved, pray their faith is strengthened, that their walk is rejuvenated, and that they experience His peace, hope, and love!