I try to pray for my friends and family, but I’m often at a loss of what to pray. So I appreciate reading the prayers of those who’ve gone before me.

Paul once asked for prayer from a church in Thessalonica, and prayed for them in turn. His short prayer for these friends forms a meaningful guide for us today: May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

Paul asks the Lord to aim the church’s attention toward God and his love, turning their heads away from the affairs of the world. Then he prays they would draw hope from Jesus Christ and stand firm in their faith.

Paul knew the challenges facing this congregation. He admonished those who were busybodies and others who lounged around in idleness. He urged them to not grow weary in doing good, leading me to believe they hesitated at times to live out their faith. Much like I do today.

So Paul prayed these no-nonsense lines. May we pray it for one other: Lord, direct our hearts to your love, and ground us in the steadfastness of Christ.

2 Thessalonians 3:5

Photo by Nik