Sunday Night's (10/05/08) Message References

Last night during the message, I referenced several things that I think might help those who were there and/or those who want to think further about Paul's prayer for the Thessalonians in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12.

First, after I talked about and tried to explain the meaning behind the three requests Paul mentioned in verse 11, I asked 5 questions to help us ponder and apply the requests to our own hearts and lives. Here are the questions:

1. When was the last time I prayed like this (if ever) for myself, my family, my church, and my friends?

2. Have I ever resolved to do good in preparation for Christ's return?

3. What am I currenly doing that requires faith and is dependent upon the power of God to be fulfilled?

4. Do I truly long to be found worthy of God's calling when Christ returns?

5. If all I do throughout eternity is 'marvel' at Christ, is that okay with me?



Second, I read to you some of Jonathan Edwards' Resolutions. He made 70 (that we know of). They are remarkable and challenging. You can read all 70 of them by clicking here. I encourage you to ponder them. Make a list of your own. Then ask the Lord Jesus to "fulfill every resolve for good." I think He wants to answer a prayer like that...especially if your "resolves" are to prepare you best for His return!


Third, I mentioned that I got help in this series from a book written by D.A. Carson. For those of you who are perhaps interested in studying further on the prayers of Paul in the Epistles, I would strongly encourage you to purchase the book for yourself. It is a wonderful resource and D.A. Carson is one of the finest biblical scholars I am aware of. You can purchase the book on Amazon by clicking here.


One point of application that I failed to mention last night was to challenge WBC to write/type out all of the prayers we have covered during this series and use them to pray for the body. For instance, it would be good to have each of the prayers on a notecard and change the notecard out every week or so while using it as a prayer guide with your prayer list. It will keep our prayers from being mundane and it will help us know for sure we are praying in the will of God. I truly believe that if we begin fervently praying the way the Spirit of God inspired Paul to pray for the churches he started/pastored, we will see God do some fascinating things in and around our lives.