Mustard Seed Thoughts #12

The New Testament is full of the prayers of the Apostle Paul. These apostolic prayers are important as we see the heart and desire of the apostle for the churches he has labored with. He gave his all for the establishment of these churches. He was very pastoral as he would address the believers as his children. He made sure that he left a strong legacy and foundation in that he sent Timothy, Titus and others to continue where he left off. His fatherly concern was the mainstay of his ministry.

The Thessalonica church faced a lot of struggles and discouragements. Being a believer at that time was not a walk in the park. One had to endure persecutions and hardships. In short, it required him/her to persevere in the face of challenges. It was easy to lose focus and to quit during times like these. Paul wrote the epistle to remind them to be faithful and to keep the focus. His call was to remain faithful as the Lord would be coming soon. He encouraged them to excel in their faith, to remain strong together in unity of heart and purpose, to pray, always to rejoice and to give thanks.

In the apostolic prayer of Paul in 1 Thess 3:11-13, 3 points were emphasized. He used the word ‘may’ to express his desire in the prayer:

1. May …the Lord direct our way to you 1 Thess 3:11

2. May… the Lord make you increase and abound in love one to another 1 Thess 3:12

3. May… the Lord establish your hearts 1 Thess 3:13

These 3 points would qualify an enduring and faithful church.

Relationship is the foundation stone of the church. Without fellowship we cannot be sustained and to run the race with success. We are not wired to live on our own. Paul understood this principle and he always longed to be in the fellowship of believers. His purpose was to see them and to impart some spiritual blessings to these believers. When we gather, there is a spiritual dynamism that strengthens us in our faith and it keeps us going… may we always be directed to our spiritual family.

Relationship is loving one another genuinely. We should be part of the family of believers. Those who are hurt, discouraged etc need someone to walk with them. The Thessalonica church was facing difficulties. They needed to be together in order to help those who were fighting hard to remain faithful. We should heed Jesus’ commandment: ‘ love one another as I have loved you.’….may we abound and increase in love one to another.

Relationship is establishing our faith together.

In the face of difficulties, it is easy to compromise, to give up, to be diverted from our focus etc. It is easy to waver and to turn away from God. The church should be the shield (protection) and the anchor (security) for those who need the strength and the support during these times….may we be established in our hearts before God.

The apostle places a great emphasis on the ‘spiritual family’. This is where we find our purpose and support as we live out our spiritual lives. It is not attending church- it is relating to one another.