SCRIPTURE: Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:2-3 NLT
THOUGHT: Paul was a pastor, and a good one. But he took a lot of spiritual hits and a lot of physical ones too. Don’t you wonder about that great heart, and how God prepared him to endure and be faithful to his calling through so much?
Here he asks one of his congregations to pray for him and his team to be rescued from wicked and evil people (and he often assures his congregations he is praying for them too, even if he has never met them). There is an implicit contrast between evil and wicked behavior and that of the believer – and a good, healthy church is a place of safety and love. I bet Paul, after all the dangers of the road, is very glad to reach one of his congregations where God’s wisdom for the flourishing of people is the rule of law – despite the many problems they, like we, have. And, in his absence, he asks for prayer but immediately assures his friends that the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
My question today is this: how often do you take time to pray for your pastor(s)? Paul had a very specific need here, and I don’t think we have to think too hard in order to know at least one powerful, necessary prayer.
PRAYER: Oh God, protect our spiritual leaders from wicked and evil people – from their ideas, their plots, their traps. Help them lead well, with great hearts for you like Paul.
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Blogger Amy Clemens is the author of Walking When You’d Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall. In it she explores childhood sexual abuse and how it impacted her faith (or lack thereof) for four decades. You’ll find not only her story, but better yet, the Big Story of God.
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