Deeper Reflection
PAUL’S GREETING IN HIS LETTER TO THE THESSALONIANS, “Grace to you and peace” (1 Thess 1:1), is no mere social wishes, but a prayer to God. So also, is his benediction, “Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus…” (1 Thess 3:11-13). The pastoral context of Paul asking God “to direct our way to you” (1 Thess 3:11) reveals certain dynamics interplaying with prayer.Human effort: After being forced to leave the Thessalonians abruptly, resulting in a painful separation from them, Paul made attempts “again and again” (vv.17-18a) to reconnect with them. These human attempts were made in the Lord. We can assume that they were made prayerfully. Surely, the Lord was present in these attempts. Demonic obstruction: Paul’s relentless attempts were unsuccessful, because “Satan hindered us” (v.18b). God was not absent, but was sovereign over the demonic obstruction. We may ask, “Why didn’t God intervene in His sovereignty?” We may not have an immediate answer to such a question or no answer at all. Stopgap measures: Undaunted, Paul did the next best thing. He sent Timothy to the Thessalonians “to establish and encourage” them in their faith (1 Thess 3:1-2). Timothy returned with good news about them “standing fast in the Lord” (1 Thess 3:6-8). But to Paul, what Timothy had done was insufficient. Fervent praying: Paul “pray[ed] most earnestly day and night” that God will “direct” his way to the Thessalonians for a face-to-face filling up of “what is lacking” in their faith (1 Thess 3:10-11). Did God answer Paul’s prayer? Yes, but “only about five years later when Paul visited Macedonia twice towards the end of his third missionary journey (Acts 20:1-3)”⁵³.

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⁵³ John R. W. Stott, Thessalonians, 67