WISH-PRAYERS - Ever prayed a wish-prayer? That’s how some scholars refer to this passage. Part of what Paul does in this praying is to sum up previous concerns while also alluding to yet unnamed issues. However Paul may have come up with his wish-praying list, I’m not sure his prayer forms a carefully outlined agenda as much a stream of consciousness of personal thoughts about his recipients that he just lets flow from heart to quill.

WHAT IS LACKING IN THEIR FAITH? - That’s what scholars have tried to pry out of Paul’s prayer. To what is Paul referring? The internal evidence leads to the relatively certain conclusion that Paul refers to the church’s apocalyptic understanding of reality. That notion is strengthened when, at the end of the prayers, Paul again makes an eschatological allusion: " may he strengthen your hearts . . . in the presence of our God . . . when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones" (vs. 13).

CHRYSOSTOM [fl 386-407] - This is a proof of superabundant love, that he not only prays for them by himself but even inserts his prayer in his epistles. Paul’s prayers demonstrate a fervent soul unable to restrain his love . . . ‘And the Lord make you to increase and abound.’ Do you not see the unrestrained madness of love that is shown by these words? [1]

 

Paul prays that he will have the opportunity to revisit the Thessalonians in order to supply "what is lacking in your faith" (v. 10). What would you pray for your faith community-something that is lacking in their faith? What is the lack in your faith that someone who knows you well would pray?

In what specific ways have you been helped and encouraged b y someone else’s faith? Have you told them about it?

Which of Paul’s prayer requests would you want someone to pray for you?

One very helpful resource that would feed into this lesson is Richard Foster’s book on prayer. [2] He provides user-friendly ways to think about prayer and certainly includes excellent quotations and anecdotes.

You may want to approach this passage by reconstructing (briefly, of course) the relationship that Paul enjoys with these people-what claims does he make about them?

When you share a history with someone, you care about them and as Christians, pray for them. Play with that idea a bit; give examples of special shared histories between you and others, between the congregation and pastors or ministries that will help listeners to connect with the passage.

Construct a pray and pray it for your own community of faith and then invite them to do the same for someone that they share a history with.