Encouragement

There is so, so much need for encouragement these days. Between the isolation of the pandemic, the intensity of the election cycle, and the apocalyptic weirdness of the air quality, just about everyone is struggling. What a good time to think a bit about encouragement.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. - 2 Thessalonians 2:15-17

Note in the passage that the ‘eternal encouragement’ has already been given to us in Christ - and yet at the same time Paul is praying specifically that God wold ‘encourage your hearts.’ Isn’t that interesting? Basically he’s saying that while we apparently already have access to this encouragement that it’s still required to pray that encouragement into reality in someone else’s life.

Take a moment and think some about the general sense of encouragement that you have access to in Christ. Are you aware that it’s out there? Do you feel like you can tap into that resource?

Now let’s shift outward. Is there someone that you you could pray for with this prayer (or something like it)? And, thinking about the fact that Paul told his friends exactly what he was praying for his friends, would you be willing to share that prayer with your friend that you are praying for?