The Pator's Intercession for His People from 1 Thess. 3:10

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/4/2014 8:59 PM

My Worship Time                                                Focus:  The Pastor’s Intercession for His People

Bible Reading & Meditation                                          Reference:  1 Thessalonians 3:10

            Message of the verses:  “10 as we pray earnestly day and night to see you face to face again, and to complete whatever is imperfect in your faith?”

            In an earlier SD from the book of 1 Thessalonians I quoted three paragraphs from John MacArthur on how we as believers can pray for our Pastors.  The information came from how the Apostle Paul lived out his life as he ministered to the churches that he founded through the power of the Holy Spirit.  We can see that Paul was a wonderful Pastor to those churches as we read his letters and follow him through the last half of the book of Acts.  Paul ministered in the way that our Lord ministered while on this earth and with that being said I wish no to quote another paragraph on how the Lord Jesus ministered while on this earth.  This paragraph will also be a good reminder on how to pray for the Pastors who have charge over us.

            “If Paul is the ideal human model of on with a pastor’s heart, that is only because he carefully patterned his pastoral ministry after that of Jesus Christ, who perfectly modeled the pastor’s heart during His earthly ministry.  He was the ultimate example of affection for His sheep (John 10:11-16, 27-28), unselfishness for His disciples (John 13:3-17), compassion for His people (John 11:33-44; cf. Matt. 23:37-39), protectiveness toward His lambs (John 10:2-5), delight for His church (Matt. 16:18-19), gratitude for His followers (Matt. 11:25-30), and intercession for His beloved children (John 17:6-26).  That model of the shepherd’s heart is the divine standard for all pastors today.”

            Now as we look over this list of how our Lord ministered while on this earth we can begin praying these things to the Lord that He will fulfill these things in our Pastor’s heart and ministry to the glory of God.

            Now as we look at what Paul wrote in verse ten we can see that his desire for the Thessalonians was that their faith might mature.  We have been reading how good the Thessalonian church was maturing, but remember that if we are not moving forward in our walk with the Lord we are moving backwards, and that is why Paul prayed that they may continue to grow in their walk with the Lord.  We know that Paul wanted to see them again so that he could continue in this process of showing them how to grow in their faith.  When we look at chapters four and five we will see that Paul will write some things that will help them grow.  God did not answer the request of Paul to see them again and we just have to trust that this was the perfect will of God for Paul and for this church.

            I have mentioned before that Warren Wiersbe uses the KJV of the Bible in his commentaries and in the KJV we read the word “perfect” in verse ten while the NASB uses the word “complete.”  Dr. Wiersbe writes that “The word translated ‘perfect’ has the meaning of ‘adjust, equip, furnish.’  It is even used for the mending of nets (Mark 1:19).  Our faith never reaches perfection; there is always need for adjustment and growth.  We go ‘from faith to faith’ (Romans 1:17).”  I think that we also go from glory to glory too as Paul writes to the Corinthians. 

            There are three more verses in this third chapter of 1 Thessalonians and I want to take a little break from this letter and go back and pick up where we left off in the book of Jeremiah a little over a month ago.  Lord willing we will begin to look at the 18^th chapter of Jeremiah in our next SD and then before the end of May I want to finish up these last three verses from this third chapter of Thessalonians.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It is good to learn of new ways to pray for my pastor and I have learned some new ways in this SD.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Be more faithful in praying for my pastor.

Memory verse for this week:  Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who love me and gave Himself up for me.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Gaza” (Acts 8:26).

Today’s Bible question:  “Who was the harpist that was brought to the court of King Saul?”

Answer in our next SD.

5/4/2014 9:35 PM