We realise as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ that we should pray for others, but what can we pray? We can follow the example of St Paul as he prayed for his friends in the church at Thessalonica. He told them what he was praying for them in 2 Thessalonians 3:5, “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” A very simple prayer but what did he mean?
1]. “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God.”
“Direct” is [kateuthunō; κατευθύναι] “direct” your hearts to the love of God.
The word is found also only in
Luke 1:79 – Guide. Luke 1:79 “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” This was part of Zechariah’s prophecy concerning his son, John the Baptist. John’s ministry would be as a prophet to introduce the Messiah Jesus to the world. One outcome of his ministry was that he would guide the people of God into the way of peace. He would be a guiding light to bring people out of darkness and to introduce them to Jesus as the Prince of peace.
1 Thessalonian 3:11 – Direct. “Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you.” St Paul was looking to God the Father and Jesus His Son to direct his way to the Thessalonians. By this he appears to mean that he was trusting God to overrule in all his circumstances so that he could arrive safely at Thessalonica.
So we return to 2 Thess. 3:5. – Direct. “direct your hearts to the love of God.” St Paul wanted the very best for his converts in Thessalonica. He wanted them to experience the [agape] love of God and then to manifest it in their relationships with one another [as he had written in his previous epistle, “and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13. ]
2]. “May the Lord direct your hearts to ….. the steadfastness of Christ.
Steadfastness is [hypomonē; ὑπομονὴν] “steadfastness of Christ.” This can mean
patient endurance; patient awaiting; patient frame of mind; patience, perseverance.
The New Testament writers saw the ministry of Jesus as involving great endurance. For example, the writer to the Hebrews wrote, “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2.
St Paul realised that patient endurance was not easy in a world hostile to God so he pointed to the steadfastness of Jesus as the perfect example for the Thessalonians to follow. Later he was to write to the believers in Rome that suffering brings endurance which builds character and character produces hope, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.“ Romans 5:3-4.
In this Romans passage he makes the link between endurance, character, hope and the love of God as he continued to write, “and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:5.
What a wonderful prayer then it is to pray for our family and friends, “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.”
It will help immensely if our own lives are characterised by love and by patient endurance or steadfastness.
Blog No.508 posted on Saturday 09 December 2023.
About Jim Holbeck
Once an Industrial Chemist working for the Queensland Government but later an Anglican minister in Brisbane, Armidale and Sydney. Last position for eighteen years before retirement in 2006 was as the Leader of the Healing Ministry at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.
holbeck 
508. 2 Thessalonians 3:5. A PRAYER TO PRAY FOR EACH OTHER!
We realise as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ that we should pray for others, but what can we pray? We can follow the example of St Paul as he prayed for his friends in the church at Thessalonica. He told them what he was praying for them in 2 Thessalonians 3:5, “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” A very simple prayer but what did he mean?
1]. “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God.”
“Direct” is [kateuthunō; κατευθύναι] “direct” your hearts to the love of God.
The word is found also only in
Luke 1:79 – Guide. Luke 1:79 “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” This was part of Zechariah’s prophecy concerning his son, John the Baptist. John’s ministry would be as a prophet to introduce the Messiah Jesus to the world. One outcome of his ministry was that he would guide the people of God into the way of peace. He would be a guiding light to bring people out of darkness and to introduce them to Jesus as the Prince of peace.
1 Thessalonian 3:11 – Direct. “Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you.” St Paul was looking to God the Father and Jesus His Son to direct his way to the Thessalonians. By this he appears to mean that he was trusting God to overrule in all his circumstances so that he could arrive safely at Thessalonica.
So we return to 2 Thess. 3:5. – Direct. “direct your hearts to the love of God.” St Paul wanted the very best for his converts in Thessalonica. He wanted them to experience the [agape] love of God and then to manifest it in their relationships with one another [as he had written in his previous epistle, “and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13. ]
2]. “May the Lord direct your hearts to ….. the steadfastness of Christ.
Steadfastness is [hypomonē; ὑπομονὴν] “steadfastness of Christ.” This can mean
patient endurance; patient awaiting; patient frame of mind; patience, perseverance.
The New Testament writers saw the ministry of Jesus as involving great endurance. For example, the writer to the Hebrews wrote, “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2.
St Paul realised that patient endurance was not easy in a world hostile to God so he pointed to the steadfastness of Jesus as the perfect example for the Thessalonians to follow. Later he was to write to the believers in Rome that suffering brings endurance which builds character and character produces hope, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.“ Romans 5:3-4.
In this Romans passage he makes the link between endurance, character, hope and the love of God as he continued to write, “and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:5.
What a wonderful prayer then it is to pray for our family and friends, “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.”
It will help immensely if our own lives are characterised by love and by patient endurance or steadfastness.
Blog No.508 posted on Saturday 09 December 2023.
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About Jim Holbeck
Once an Industrial Chemist working for the Queensland Government but later an Anglican minister in Brisbane, Armidale and Sydney. Last position for eighteen years before retirement in 2006 was as the Leader of the Healing Ministry at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.