Prayer for You

1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 (The Message)
May God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you! And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with all his followers.

The apostle Paul founded several churches in the Mediterranean region, including the church in Thessalonica. In many of his letters he mentioned particular ways that he was praying for the churches. Of those prayers, this is my favorite. His love for the Thessalonians shines through so clearly. It sounds much like the prayer of a father for his beloved children.

I haven’t founded any churches in the Mediterranean, or anywhere else. God hasn’t called me to be a church planter — at least not yet! But the churches I’ve been connected with are always in my prayers: Clinton UMC, Rockefeller UMC, Millens Bay Union Church, 1st UMC Boynton Beach, Christ Church, and Aldersgate UMC. I pray for the people of those congregations, their leaders, and the communities they serve.

And I pray for all of you who read my blog. Today this is my prayer for you:

I pray that our marvelous, powerful, gracious God would lead you by the hand throughout your life. I pray that God’s love would so permeate your spirit, that love would flow over into your every word and action. I pray that God would open your eyes to the needs of people around you, and give you the courage and strength to help in meaningful ways. I pray that you would have God’s peace and joy in your soul. And when you struggle in this life, I pray that even in the midst of the pain you would have a deep understanding of your eternal worth in God’s eyes, and an assurance of your place in God’s kingdom.

Amen!

Question:
How do you pray for the people in your life?

For an interesting perspective on prayer (and a lot of other great things!) check out my colleague’s blog: The Tamed Cynic.