What are we to pray for?

What are we to Pray for.

2 Thess. 3:1-5

“Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified just as it did also with you and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men, for not all have faith.”

When we pray, what do we pray for? Take some time and reflect upon the requests that you bring to God. Much of our prayer centers on our physical needs. We pray for God’s protection from harm. When sick, we pray for His healing touch. We pray for others who are experiencing physical problems. Certainly, this is valid and encouraged by God (James 5:13). We also rightfully pray for wisdom and strength during times of difficulty and trials (James 1:1-5). But how do we pray for our spiritual leaders, the pastor, the board, and the church's ministries?

As Paul closes his letter, as he often does in all his epistles, he expresses his prayer for the people he is writing to and asks them to pray for him. In these requests, we not only discover how to pray for spiritual leaders in the church, but we also find requests that we should pray for our own lives. The first thing that he asks them to pray for is that the gospel message would be proclaimed more and more. The phrase "spread rapidly" literally means to run quickly. The idea is that of a runner in a race who runs quickly and unimpeded to win. The picture is of God sending His word to run like a messenger throughout the land proclaiming the good news. For Paul, the most essential thing in life was not his health or well-being but the gospel's advancement. In Ephesians 6:19-20, Paul requests that the Ephesians pray he will have both the opportunity and boldness to share the gospel with others. This should be our prayer. When we are saved from sin, we are placed in Christ’s kingdom and called to participate in Christ’s redemptive program by proclaiming the gospel to others. No matter who we are or our career, this must be the center of our life purpose. As Peter encourages his readers, “Always be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). We should pray daily not only that the pastors and spiritual leaders would be free to share the gospel with others, but that each one of us would also have opportunities to share the gospel as well.

Second, Paul asks that they pray that they would be rescued from evil men who oppose the gospel. As our culture becomes more and more secular, it becomes more hostile to the gospel message. Instead of seeing it as the answer for their lives, they oppose its message as outdated and judgmental. In this world where people reject the gospel, our danger is that we will become silent in proclaiming it. We are to pray for both steadfastness of faith and protection from the evil one (i.e., Satan) who opposes our message and seeks to silence the gospel by attacking Christians for their faith. The danger is that we can become timid in our witness. Thus, we need to be bold in proclaiming Christ.

Lastly, we are to pray that God will direct our hearts “into the love of God.” This can be both subjective (i.e., increasing our awareness of God’s love for us) or objective (i.e., increasing our love for God). Yet these are not mutually exclusive. The more aware we are of God’s love for us, the more we will love Him in return. Paul reminds us to pray that our relationship with God will continually grow as we learn more and more about His love for us, which leads to a greater love for Him.

We should pray for our physical and emotional needs. In the Lord’s prayer, we ask God to provide our “daily bread.” But we are also to pray for “His kingdom to come.” We are not only to allow His kingdom to reign in us but also to proclaim His kingdom to others. Today, pray for God to give you opportunities to share the gospel with others with boldness because that is God’s will for you.