To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will reckon you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God says:
Live on in My love. Abide in My love. That is a peaceful place. It is not a place of strife, anxiety, worry, fear, offense, blame, regret and shame. I am here for you.
Do all you do, say all you say, to honor Me and you will have great peace.
Paul prayed a Spirit-sent prayer for you and I would like you to consider it with Me.
“To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will reckon you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12.
Now and let us build line upon line, incorporating a cloud of witnesses from My Word.
He begins, “To this end also we pray for YOU always . . .” There are many layers here, but begin with the opening, “to this end,” means you should look back at what led up to this prayer to see what end he is talking about. Do this when you see a sentence starting with “therefore” also.
The end he is talking about here is the return of Jesus with the angelic host and the separation of those who have denied Him and those who have received Him as Lord. Those who have denied Him and not obeyed the gospel of Jesus but have afflicted those who do, these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from My presence and from the glory of My power, for they will die in their own sins since they have refused the ransom and the reconciliation, but those who believe will be glorified in Him and He in them, and Jesus will be marveled at among all who have believed, but had not yet seen. Those who believed the testimony preached to them and found in My written Word. 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10. Jesus is knocking at everyone’s door, it is My Will and strong desire that all people be saved and come to know the truth even now, and if anyone hears His voice and opens the door, Jesus will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Jesus. He will experience the fullness of salvation to the uttermost and full confidence of our good relationship. And the one who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Jesus, who actually is sitting with Me on My throne. Revelation 3:20-21. And that is the end Paul is talking about. Right in the Holy of Holies in close communion with Me. He does not want trials to cause you to throw away your confidence with which you began when you first believed.
Next, note that he is praying for YOU always. Time and space make no difference in prayers. You are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses in Heaven and on earth, the prayers of all who believe, the holy ones, the set-apart ones, are there routing in agreement for you. Therefore, since you have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding you, lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles you from going forward, and let run with endurance the race that is set before you, keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of your faith. Hebrews 12:1-2.
And you see here a key word, “endurance.” My servant James wrote to you about this, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4. And My servant Peter too had much to say on this subject of endurance, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary [think about this, and try to keep it not necessary in your life, and I will tell you the key, “Humility comes before honor,” and “pride goes before a fall”], you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:3-9.
Now back to Paul’s prayer in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12. I will start at the beginning again, “To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will reckon you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness . . . ” Worthy of your calling. What is your calling? The word used for “calling” there in Greek (“klesis”) always denotes a divine invitation, a divine call, My call to you to receive My gift of Salvation with all the benefits that go with it. 2 Peter 1:9-10. And in the second chapter of the first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul was teaching and exhorting the Thessalonian church to walk in a manner worthy of “the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” 1 Thessalonians 2:12. I call you into My Kingdom and My glory. And there is nothing higher, nothing more beautiful, and nothing more glorious that you could find in anyone or anything else. It is the fool who says in his heart there is no God. It grieves Me what he is missing that I have all prepared for you in advance. It is beyond all you can ask or imagine. Why would you want to miss that for a few brief years of rebellion? The wicked cut short their own lives and lose an eternal Kingdom of glory. There is no peace for the wicked.
But for you who know My Name and that of My Son there is peace that passes all understanding. In My Word you see that I call My Son the “Prince of Peace.” The commander and captain of peace. That is the same word, “sar” in Hebrew, that I use for Jesus as the “sar” of My angelic Host. In the book of Joshua, it is called “captain” of the angelic host in English but it is the same word “sar.” And My Son is also the gate to all My benefits. He is the gate for the sheep. He takes you into the place of rest as your good Shepherd, but He is the door to peace. To complete reconciliation and peace with Me by the Blood of His cross. Colossians 1:20. And do you know what the word is in Hebrew for gate? Shaar. A shin aiyin and resh. Whereas prince is sar, but it has the same two letters but this time the shin is with a dot on the left so it drops the “h” sound. But the two words are very close.
Jesus is always the answer to peace. And He is captain, that is, prince of My angelic Host. He and I are One, and I am the LORD of Hosts. And what do I do as LORD of Hosts? Rebuke the devourer. He cannot destroy your things, your family, your finances, your goods, your labor. And what does this give you? Peace. Rest from your enemies on every side.
Remember Jehoshaphat? Three enemy came against him and Judah to take Jerusalem. But I told them I would fight the battle for them but they had to go out to face the enemy. They were so excited to see what I would do for them that they decided to march out with the singers in front praising Me with full voice and instruments. And when they began the singing and praising, I set ambushes against those that had come against them so that they were routed! And how do you think I did that? Remember with Hezekiah when he was surrounding by the invading army? I sent one angel of My Host and he took down 185,000. I send My angelic host and it is over. And after the astounding victory that Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah had against the three enemy armies that came against them as one, the kingdom of Judah was at peace, for I gave them rest on all sides. 2 Chronicles 20:22.
But back to Paul’s prayer for you in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12. I will go back to start it from the beginning again, “To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will reckon you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power . . .” 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12. We just spoke about your calling. There are many places I talk about your calling in My Word, it is a high calling, it is a calling to fellowship and partnership with My Son and Myself, it is a worthy calling, it is an honorable calling, and it is a unique calling. And part of My calling has to do with your desire for goodness and fruitfulness in your life. I know you and your heart desires to please Me by doing good for others, by having an abundance for every good work. Like Jesus you are called to preach the good news to the poor and lowly, to proclaim release to captives, the recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to bind up the broken hearted, and to proclaim a year of favor from Me. Let My Spirit in you and your great High Priest, and the cloud of witnesses around you, empower you to do the works Jesus did and greater! Make ugly lives beautiful, the most beautiful lives ever lived. And in doing so, you too will be radiant with My own beauty and glory. Delight yourself in Me and I give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4. And I know your desires for goodness. I have great goodness stored up for each of you to show in the sight of men.
“And the work of faith with power.” What is the work of faith? The work of faith enters you into the rest of faith. Hebrews 3:18-19; Hebrews 4:2. There is all peace in believing. The work of faith is to receive My Word and believe and trust in it so much that you rely on it in any circumstance so that you have no anxiety at all. Rest from your enemies on every side.
Once the crowd asked Jesus, “How do we work the works of God?” And He replied to have faith in the One He sent. Faith in Jesus, who is My Word made flesh dwelling among you. John 6:28-29. Your part is to believe the Word and obey it. The obedience of faith. My part is to perform the Word.
Live on, abide, remain in My Love by remaining in My Word and it remaining in you. Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our abode with him.” John 14:23.
And how does the prayer close? “To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will reckon you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12. So that the Name of Jesus will be glorified in YOU, and YOU IN HIM, according to the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.”
The Name. I highly exalted Jesus, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
And His Name is to be glorified in YOU and YOU IN HIM according to My grace, which I have lavished on you in Christ. Think about the ocean waves. They are like grace, grace on top of grace, And then think of the tide, it is like My love drawing you back into the vast sea of My love and My glory as the waters cover the sea.
He is the Light of the world and the Light of life. May He light your lamp and scatter the darkness around you. Shine on the world as bright lights for in you is the greater One.
I love you. Do all you do to honor Me and watch your path become brighter and brighter until perfect day.