In praying for those who
are facing hard times, request that they are spiritually prepared for
the battle. Difficulties test our faith. Satan seeks a crack in our
spiritual armor to inflict damage on our physical life and our
character. Pray that hurting people are spiritually protected.
5. Pray for compassion (v. 12).
The
goal of the Christian life is love: love God and love people. Paul
was praying that God would make their love for one another overflow
so that it spills outside the banks and washes the hearts of anyone
and everyone that comes in contact with them. It’s not enough to be
kind and polite. Our love must constantly be growing, ever extending
outwards toward others.
Advertisement
Usually, when we are
faced with difficulties and hard times our focus turns inward, doesn’t
it? We become self-absorbed and self-centered. It is all about our
problems, our loss, our worries, our struggles. We hardly have time
for others. Paul was praying that that wouldn’t be the case for the
Thessalonians. He was praying that their love for one another would
remain strong even in hard times.
6. Pray for their strength (v. 13).
The
word strengthen means to buttress something, like the famous “flying
buttresses” of cathedrals in Europe. Our hearts must have a strong
foundation, one that is free of cracks, flaws, and weak areas, if we
are going to stand strong in the time of trial. Nothing reveals the
true condition of the heart like difficulty, setbacks, opposition and
hardship.
So when you pray for people facing
hard times ask God to make them strong in their weak places so that
they will be strong and endure the difficulties, having a heart that
is pure, set apart, and different than the people in the world.
You
are where you are today because somebody prayed for you. Now, it’s
your turn to pray for those people who are facing hard times.
___________________
Sermon
brief provided by: Rick Ezell, a pastor and author in
Naperville, IL