Another prayer of Paul in 2 Thessalonians 1: 11-12 : "Therefore we pray always for you, that our God may judge you worthy of his calling and that he will perform with good power all good intention and all work So that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Here again we find God's purpose for our lives : "... so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you." The good news is that Paul later says : "... and you in him ..." ! And it is a grace that God gives us that we should be glorified in him !

We can pray this prayer, for ourselves and others, that God can accomplish the work of faith in us, and that we may be worthy of the call He has for us. We can think of the general call, that is to say, having communion with Jesus and resembling him, but also the specific call that each and every one of us has received, the specific task that God predestined for We especially.

The prayer in Hebrews 13:21 tells us the same thing : "May this God make you capable of doing good in all its forms, that you may fulfill his will. Let him realize in himself, through Jesus Christ, what is pleasing to him. To him be glory for eternity ! Amen !" If we can do something for the Lord, it will always be because he has made us capable.

A final, simple prayer, this time from John 3: 1, 1-2 : "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every respect and be healthy, and prosper the state of your soul."

If ever there is any doubt about the purpose and the heart of God for us, this is the answer : that you prosper in all respects !

Finally, let us recall once again the three objectives that we find almost always in New Testament prayers : 1) the revelation and knowledge of God and his heart, 2) the knowledge of his will and 3) our inheritance in the 'eternity. This, while knowing that Jesus Himself gave us in the first place the 'Our Father' which covers all the personal and daily needs of our lives and those around us.

In the two days that remain, we will study a little more in depth the famous 'Spiritual armor'. This armor is essential because we often encounter a supernatural opposition in our prayers : the devil, his angels and his demons especially do not like a Christian praying seriously ! But in His Word God gives us all that is needed to not only resist Him, but also to flee Him, and to take back all that He has stolen from God and His people.

"Lord, may I be found worthy of your calling, to fulfill your will in my life ! Realize in me what pleases you, and thank you Lord, that you wish me to prosper, in every respect! In the name of Jesus, amen !"

René de Groot