1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 (NRSV)
Read 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 on biblegateway.com
Verse 9How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Verse 10Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.
Verse 11Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. Verse 12And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. Verse 13And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
Devotion
Following the recent controversial outcome of our ELCA churchwide assembly, our congregational council invited those who would like to speak their mind to an open meeting.
After several people had passionately shared their perspectives, a gentle man simply said, "What strikes me most with all of this is the great material it offers for prayer." He went on to speak about the challenges of being the body of Christ when we disagree with one another and the importance of continual prayer that we might grow in love for one another and for Christ's church.
For those of us gathered that evening, it was a word our weary ears longed to hear.
Prayer
Gracious God,
In the words of I Thessalonians 3:12, we pray that you will make us increase and abound in love for one another. We invite you to be the center of our conversations, our relationships, our church and our lives. Amen.