“Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ”

Now may the Lord direct your hearts

God will “direct” the hearts of the Thessalonians. The word “direct” comes from two words: to make straight and down. The idea is to clear away any obstacle in their hearts toward loving God or steadfastly enduring trials.

into the love of God

The “love of God” is our love for God. Paul prays that God would direct the hearts of the Thessalonians to love God.

and into the patience of Christ.

Paul prays that the hearts of the Thessalonians will follow the “patience of Christ.” The word “patience” means endurance. They were to persevere in their persecutions as Christ did in His. They faced political and social pressure from their community. They needed to follow the example of Christ in suffering.

“…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

Principle:

When we pray for others, we can make a difference in their lives.

Application:

Do we pray for the hearts of fellow Christians? We need to pray that 1) fellow believers will direct their hearts into love for God, and 2) they will develop a steadfast character like that of Christ.