“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you…”
just as it is with you
Paul wanted the gospel to advance in Corinth, as it had in Thessonalica. Paul stayed in Corinth for approximately two years, preaching the gospel.
The Thessalonians glorified the Word when they embraced it for themselves (1 Thessalonians 1:5-6; 2:13; 4:10; 5:11). With them, God’s Word ran with freedom, and they held it in high regard when it came to Thessalonica. It transformed their lives from pagan to Christian.
Principle:
It is imperative to pray for the progress of the gospel.
Application:
The focus of prayer should be on the content rather than the communicator. Federal Express cannot take credit for the wonderful gift someone sends us. It is the message that blesses people, not the messenger.
A supernatural person called Satan is out to hinder the message, so there is a need for God’s supernatural intervention in spreading the gospel.
“Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us” (1 Thessalonians 2:18).
Many people today have lost sight of the unadulterated force of the Word of God.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
“For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men…. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:21-25, 2:3-5).
