William Law said, “There is nothing that makes us love a man so much as prayer for him.” You cannot stubbornly hate a person you sincerely pray for. Prayer cultivates and characterizes love. Many relationships have benefited from what one writer has called “The Five Love Languages.” Unfortunately, prayer is not one of these love languages. Yet there is no greater way to love a person than to pray for that person. 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 shows us what it looks like when love prays. 

During his second missionary journey, Paul preached the gospel in Thessalonica. Many repented of their sins and trusted Christ. The church at Thessalonica was born. Envious religious leaders stirred up a mob to cause trouble. Acts 17:6 says, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also.” The brethren snuck Paul and Silas out of town in the night. Paul’s feet landed in Berea. His heart remained in Thessalonica. About a year later, Paul wrote this letter to the church in Thessalonica. 

Unable to return to the city, Paul sent Timothy, who returned with a good report. 1 Thessalonians 3:9-10 says, “For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?” Thanksgiving moved Paul to intercede sincerely, continuously, and earnestly for the saints.

Here’s a principle to practice: Don’t promise to pray, pray. That was Paul’s policy. Talking about prayer in verses 9-10 caused him to break out in prayer in verses 11-13. It is a benediction that speaks multi-directionally. 

• His words were addressed to his readers. 
• His prayers were addressed to the Lord. 

D.A. Carson wrote, “Although many of Paul’s prayers serve as models for what it means to pray for others, the one in 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 is especially revealing in its portrayal of the apostle’s deepest emotions.” This benediction teaches us that love prays. It may do other things. But most essentially, love prays. How does love pray?

Love Prays Confidently.

Verse 11 begins with a twofold invocation: “Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus.”Paul equates God and Jesus as one in essence, purpose, and action. Yet he identifies them as distinct Persons. Paul makes this statement about the Trinity to express his confidence that God hears and answers prayers. Why should we pray confidently?

The Fatherhood of God. Verse 11 says, “Now may our God and Father himself.” All prayer is addressed to God. God alone hears and answers prayer. God is high and holy. We are weak, sinful, and unworthy.  What confidence do we have in prayer? He is “our God and Father.” This is the language of personal relationship. Matthew 6:9 teaches us to pray, “Our Father in heaven.” The blood and righteousness make a relationship with God possible. John 1:12-13 says, “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Our relationship with God is personal, not private. He is “our God and Father.” “Our” applied to Paul and his missionary team. 1 Thessalonians 1:1 reads: “To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” All who believe in Christ are God’s children. We pray confidently because God is no absentee father or deadbeat dad. You do not have to drag God to court to get him to acknowledge his children. Our God and Father himself takes care of us. Matthew 7:11 says, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

The Lordship of Christ. Verse 11 says, “Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus.” Here is a clear statement of the deity of Christ. Paul was monotheistic. He believed there was only one God. That God alone is able to answer prayer. Yet he addresses this prayer to God the Father and the Lord Jesus. Jesus is God. There is a pattern of prayer in the New Testament: Christians pray to God the Father in the name of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet it is appropriate to pray to God the Father or God the Son. Matthew Henry said, “Prayer is not only to be offered in the name of Christ, but offered up to Christ himself, as our Lord and our Savior.” We tend to think of God’s power and Christ’s love. Paul flips the switch to speak of God’s paternal care and Jesus’s sovereign authority. Jesus is Lord. Confessionally, Paul calls him “Our Lord Jesus.” 

• Jesus is not your Lord if he is not your Savior. 
• Jesus is not your Savior if he is not your Lord. 

Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” You do not make Jesus Lord. He is Lord! The Lordship of Christ is confidence in prayer. Matthew 28:18 says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Love Prays Specifically. 

Paul prays for himself and the Thessalonians. Ultimately, both requests are for the Thessalonians. Paul does not pray, “Bless them.” He makes specific requests to receive specific answers. What does Paul ask the Lord to do? 

A Prayer for Safe Passage. Jealous religious leaders drove Paul out of Thessalonica. He desired to return to build up these young Christians but was unable to. 1 Thessalonians 2:18 says, “We wanted to come to you – I, Paul, again and again – but Satan hindered us.” How did Paul respond? He prayed about it, asking that God would “direct our way to you.” “Direct” means to make smooth or straight. It is to clear the path. 2 Thessalonians 3:5 says, “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.”

• God is able to direct our hearts internally. 
• God is able to direct our ways externally. 

James Fergusson said, “The Lord’s most powerful providence overrules the most malicious designs of Satan against his work and people.” The Lord navigates circumstances to get us to the right place at the right time. Acts 17:28 says, “In him we live and move and have our being.” Even your travel plans are in God’s hands. This request teaches us to pray about practical matters spiritually. 

Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” The inverse is also true: If you do not commit your work to the Lord, your plans will fail. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Trust God with every personal decision, family concern, financial difficulty, career goal, and ministry opportunity.  

A Prayer for Spiritual Growth. Verse 12 records the second request: “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you.” Verse 11 is addressed to God our Father and Jesus our Lord. This request is addressed to the Lord Jesus alone, which further affirms the deity of Christ. 

• We need the Lord’s help for life’s practical concerns.
• We need the Lord’s help for life’s spiritual concerns.     

Paul asked the Lord to make the saints more loving. It is a prayer for spiritual growth. Love is faith’s chief virtue. 1 Corinthians 13:13 says, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” Love is more than goodwill or affection. W.E. Vine wrote: “Love can be known only by the actions it prompts.” Paul prays that the saints would exhibit growing and godly love. 

 Growing Love. Verse 12 says, “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love.” The words “make you” do not suggest unwillingness must be overcome. The willing heart cannot exhibit growing love without divine help. “Increase” and “abound” are synonymous. 

• Increase means to extend or enlarge. 
• Abound means to exceed or surpass. 

1 Thessalonians 1:3 commends their “labor of love.” 1 Thessalonians 3:6 mentions the good news of their “faith and love.” But they were not loving enough. Their love needed to increase and abound. Love is the only Christian virtue that cannot be excessive. You can never be too loving. May the Lord make you increase and abound in love. 

Godly Love. Godly love is evidenced by its objects. It is not selfish or sinful love. It is love “for one another.” Conversion is marked by faith in Christ and love for all the saints. You do not love Christ if you hate his church. 1 John 3:14 says, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.” Our love for another should be increasing and abounding.

We should also grow in love “for all.” Love for one another should overflow in love for the world around us. John 3:16 says God loved the world. So should we. It is not Christian to only love those who think, act, or look like you. Matthew 5:44 says, “Love your enemies.” Note the end of verse 12: “as we do for you.” Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy’s love for the saints was to be their model and measure. Mark Twain said, “Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.” You need to be a participating member of the local church with good examples of tough, tender, sacrificial, and radical love. 

Love Prays Expectantly.

  Note the connection between verses 12-13: 

• Verse 12 is the request – love. 
• Verse 13 is the reason – holiness. 

D. Edmond Hiebert wrote: “An unloving man cannot be a holy man.” Love and holiness work together to make us what God has called us to be in Christ. Paul prays for spiritual growth with the end in mind. Philippians 1:6 says, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ.” Love prays expectantly that God will finish what he starts. Where should you look as you pray?

The Presence of God the Father. Verse 13 says: “so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father.” “Establish” is the term from which we get “steroids.” It means to settle or strengthen. “Hearts” refers to the seat of personhood – the mind, will, and emotions. Because true religion happens from the inside out, we need our hearts established. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”  This is our responsibility. It only takes place by divine help. May he establish our hearts blameless in holiness.

• Blameless is how we live before others. 
• Holiness is how we live before the Lord. 

The goal of the Christian life is to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father. Matthew 7:21 says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Beware! You can be a smashing success before men and a horrible failure before God. At the final inspection, it will not matter what people say or think about you. To be blameless in holiness is to live a Godward life. 2 Corinthians 7:2 says, “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” We fear God as a loving Father who is worthy of our trust and obedience. 

The Coming of Jesus the Lord. When will this final inspection before our God and Father take place? “At the coming of our Lord Jesus with all the saints.” Jesus is coming again!

• The first time he came to seek and to save. 
• The next time he will come to rule and reign. 

 The early church expected the Lord to return during their lifetime. It is the Christian hope for all ages. We should live each day in anticipation of that day. 1 John 3:2-3 says, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” 

Christ is coming again with all his saints. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 explains: “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the troupe of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” Will you be ready?