Lent Course 1: Praying with Paul - 2 Thess 1

Praying with Paul - Lent Course 2018 - Session 1

Diocesan Year of Prayer – a topic we almost certainly all feel we could always do with some help with! ‘Vicar, I think I’m praying too much!’?

Prayer! – “Lord, teach us to pray!”

Book recommendation: Don Carson, A Call To Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers (Baker / IVP, 1992) – not required reading for the course but on which much of what follows depends!

Feel free to but in, make comments, ask questions!

Our prayers and Paul’s

What are your prayers like? What do you pray about?

Let’s think about our prayer life both individually and as families / groups / a whole church. (Some of these questions might be good for personal reflection) See also the questions at the end of each chapter in Carson ACTSR

To what extent do you think the Apostle Paul’s prayers should be models for our prayers? Why?

The big question to keep in mind in all these studies, to which we’ll return in the final session is: how might Paul’s prayers reform our prayers?

The format of contemporary, ancient and Biblical letters: From, To, Greeting, Thanksgiving / Blessing … Concluding Prayer / Praise / Blessing

2 Thessalonians 1

How much do you pray for yourself and for others? In what way? When? Why?

Notice this is a thoughtful, specific prayer for others relatively far away. No doubt there were many other calls on Paul’s thoughts and prayers. We might understand if he were taken up with his own often difficult circumstances.  

Carson’s Chapter 2: The Framework of Paul’s Prayers (vv3-10)

V11, “with this in mind” – Greek eis (into) kai (and) – ‘Wherefore also’ – all the preceding leads into this

Are there particular things you keep in mind when praying? What preoccupies your mind and shapes your thinking?

What does Paul say he keeps in mind here?

What ought wo to want to keep in mind when praying?

Perhaps one great difference between Paul’s prayers and ours is the extent to which they are theologically informed and saturated with God’s mission?

How would you sum up verses 3-10? What are the big things that shape Paul’s prayers?

(1) Thankfulness for signs of grace

Are your prayers always thankful? Should they be? What things could you give thanks for (especially in other believers?) How could we cultivate thankfulness?

Cf. The Book of Common Prayer Prayer of General Thanksgiving or An English Prayer Book p46

Giving thanks for others might have very positive effects in overcoming resentments, envy etc.

It is harder to hate those for whom you pray (thankfully)!

What is Paul thankful for? (vv3-4)

1. Paul gives thanks that the believers’ faith is growing (v3)

What does it mean to grow in faith? What are the alternatives / barriers to this?

Faith – increasing trust in the Lord, fidelity, faithfulness, growing in knowledge, strength, maturity, depth etc. as an antidote to anxiety or self-dependence or trust in other things

2. Paul gives thanks that their love (everyone for one another in the church) is increasing (v3)

‘everyone’ not just the PCC / keenies / spiritual elite! Even the odd balls / hard to love etc.

Cf. John 13:34-35

Notice that the standard here is progress not perfection – growth not having arrived.

This Christian love in churches is especially remarkable if they are also marked by significant diversity cf. e.g. the Golf Club or Conservative Association! We must keep in sight our primary allegiance to Christ and an awareness of his gospel.

Are you / we growing in these areas? Do we risk being self-satisfied / indifferent / defeatist / complacent?

How might we seek this growth?

3. Paul gives thanks that they are persevering under trial (v4)

What does Paul boast about (v4)? Is he right to do so?

What would we rightly be known for among the churches? (v4)

Are love, faith and perseverance your priorities?

Do we take a special interest in the persecuted church? Resources e.g. Barnabas Fund / Open Doors / Christian Solidarity Worldwide

Do you tend to be positive or negative about others? Do you find it easier to see faults or to see things for which to be thankful? What could you do about this?

Could you use the church prayer diary / electoral roll / notice sheet / magazine to help you give thanks for others?

Do our prayers seem too focused on our material well-being compared to Paul’s? How could we counter this? Cf. Colossians 3:1; Matthew 6:19-21

These things are primarily God’s work in us. That is why Paul can thank God for them. This should spur us to pray for God’s work in ourselves and others.

(2) Confidence in the prospect of vindication (vv5-10)

The importance of a future focus on the final consummated kingdom of God for believers

1. For believers there will be vindication (v5, v7, v10)

Evidence of God’s work in them, not of merit – salvation not earned

2. For others, there will be retribution (v6, vv8-9)

Justice – note the context of unjust persecution – the gospel and substitutionary atonement! Romans 3:21-26

Are we too focused on the present? On our own local concerns?

How might a fuller grasp of the gospel and a focus on the ultimate future shape our praying?

Carson’s Chapter 3: Worthy petitions

Paul’s petitions (vv11-12)

What types of prayer are there? Do you know the ACTS mnemonic? What types of prayer are these in vv11-12?

It is good to pray prayers of adoration, confession and thanksgiving but it is striking how much petition there is in the Bible. We shouldn’t be ashamed of it or super-spiritual about it. God is the mighty king and we are rightly needy supplicants before him. Petition is a way of acknowledging our need and expressing our trust and allegiance.

What do you think Paul means by saying he prays for them constantly (v11, literally, at all times, always, ever)? 24/7?!

How constant are your prayers?

What encourages you to give up or keep going?

(1) Paul prays that God might count these Christians worthy of their calling (v11)

What is the Christian calling? (v11)

Matthew 22:1-14; Effectual calling – Romans 8:29-30; Galatians 1:13-15; Ephesians 4:1 – Be who you are / are meant to be in Christ, as children of God etc.! – The priority of godliness / holiness / heaven-ward orientation – we constantly need God’s help in this, not just try harder!

How will your life / prayer / values seem 30 years or 40 billion years from now? In the light of eternity, what should our prayer priorities be?

(2) Paul prays that God by his power might bring to fruition each Christian’s good, faith-prompted purposes (v11)

What good thing(s) are you purposing for Jesus? What is your faith prompting you to do?

What is God’s power (v11) like? Do you find that encouraging?

What is the relationship in v11 between our plans and their fulfilment?

Psalm 127:1; Philippians 2:12-13

The Goal of Paul’s Prayer (v12)

(1) Paul seeks the glorification of the Lord Jesus (v12)

What does Jesus’ “name” mean?

This is the ultimate goal of life! – cf. Westminster Shorter Catechism: ‘What is the chief end of man?’

Yet, how much do we seek our own glory / praise / love to be noticed etc.?

Colossians 1:16

(2) Paul seeks the glorification of believers (v12)

Isaiah 42:8; Romans 8:30; 2 Corinthians 3:18 – not a zero-sum game, rather the opposite!

The Ground of Paul’s Prayer (v12)

What seems to be the ground of Paul’s prayer here?

What does that mean?

Saved by grace and sanctified by grace – our complete dependence on God

(Could you turn the other headings into things beginning with “g”?!)

What difference might this study make to you in the week ahead?

Are there one or two things you could focus on?

For next week

We will begin by reviewing this week and asking if it has made any difference!

Please read and think about 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13. Come with any questions.