“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us” (2 Thessalonians 3:6).

We are easily influenced by others.  You and I may think ourselves exempt, but we are not.  Those who are unruly are like leaven.  A little goes a long way.  Just look at the church.  Where once two out of three went to church every Sunday, now its one in five.  What’s happened?  The unruly have had their way.  Such is the way of this world.  Take these admonitions seriously.

Lord, I know that no behavior in and of itself is deadly to my salvation, yet, if I am led away from You to rejoin the rebellion, that would be deadly.  Help me to learn these precepts in grace where I do what I do because it is what I do without heaping guilt upon those who do not.  Lead me Lord in the way You know I need to go and then help me to have the fortitude to walk in that direction.

Lord Jesus, there is no doubt that I need to be saved.  I even need to be saved from undoing in my life what You have done.  Help me to always be gracious, but also guarded so that I would not be led away in this world of constant rebellion.  Guide me Lord in order that I may humbly walk with You in the way of life.  Through all things, keep me now and always in Your Word and the will of the Father.  Amen. 

“We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command.  May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ” (2 Thessalonians 3:4-5).

When we walk in the way of the Lord, we are not free agents.  Many act that way, but Christianity is a kingdom, a marriage between the bride and the bridegroom.  We do well to not reflect the world, but to reflect Scripture.  Come into the right relationship with the Lord and be led by Him as He leads you into eternity.  Learn to obey all that He commands in accordance with the Great Commission.

Lord, You have offered to teach me these things, but I seem to want to put my twist on them.  Take me back to the roots of faith where I do things the way You have told me to do them.  You do not change so why should Your ways change?  Teach me to accept all that You command and through whom You send to command.  In and through all things, guide me by Your Word according to Your purposes.

Lord Jesus, You have come so that we may be freed from the traps of this age.  Guide me, O Lord, in order that I would humbly walk in the way You would have me walk.  Help me according to Your purposes to see that in You alone is all hope and an eternal future.  Lead me to know that in You is all life and through You alone, life eternal.  Teach me to look to You alone always.  Amen.

“But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3).

You know that you will experience adversity (and know the Lord uses it for your good) and you know that Lord is protecting you.  Through these things He will strengthen you for all that will come.  Know that the Lord is accomplishing in you what He has purposed from the beginning, so trust in the One who will accomplish this.  The Lord is faithful and will do as He has promised.

Lord, the trials come and I am discouraged.  I do not know whether to go one direction or another.  Help me amidst the struggles of this age to see that in You is all hope and the only future fit for living.  Guide me, Lord, so that I would trust in Your faithfulness and flee from the wicked one.  You are my strength and shield and a bulwark against all adversity.  Let me see how close You are holding me.

Lord Jesus, You know what it is to face the adversary.  You know what it is to be tempted.  You know the difficulties of this world but endured and overcame them.  Lead me, O Lord, to see that in You alone is all hope and a future.  Guide me into that future in order that I may now and always hold fast to the truth of the Gospel that You have shared through Your own body and blood from the cross, granting me life now and forever.  Amen.

“Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith” (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2).

Not all have faith.  Sometimes we think that others are indifferent and simply need to be told the truth.  There are evil people who are not indifferent, but hostile.  Be loving, but firm.  Keep your eyes open, for we fight not against flesh and blood, but against principalities.  Receive the Word of the Lord and live in the truth of that revelation.  Be guided by the Lord and stand firm.

Lord, help me to have what wits I have about me all the time.  There are different kinds of people and I am to love my neighbor, but that does not mean that I do not need to keep my guard up.  Teach when to be on guard and when to be relaxed.  Help me to pray for all of the saints always.  Guide me in these good things that I would learn from You how to be faithful always.

Lord Jesus, You have come to give Yourself for our sake.  You are the Word made flesh.  You are the Good News.  Help me to receive You and live in You and to not be fooled by those who bring any other word.  Let me also be loving yet firm in doctrine so that I may hold fast to You and not be led astray.  Finally, give me a heart for all of those who have yet to receive the goodness of Your grace and mercy that they would come to know You.  Amen.  

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:16).

The work we do is not out of compulsion.  We should never be driven by the need to do anything, but in love we have been called by the One who first loved us.  In the good hope of grace and in the faith He gives, do all that you do.  Be strengthened not by your efforts, but by the goodness of the Lord who gives us the eternal hope in the salvation given us by grace.

Take care that you do not fall into the trap of seeing anything in the way of obligation.  Instead, see things in terms of the grace you have received and pass on that grace to others.  In love we are called to live.  God first loved us so that we may love Him and others.  The motivation does need to eventually become loving obedience to the faith.  Move in that direction and you will move closer to the likeness of Christ.

Lord Jesus, You did what You did out of love.  You love each one of us.  Guide me, Lord, so that I would be led by You and not by myself or others.  Let me not fall into the traps of being legalistic nor uncaring about what is right.  Help me always to live according to the word that You have given knowing that You are calling me into Yourself.  Open my eyes to see more clearly and guide my actions to serve more purely.  Amen.

“So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us” (2 Thessalonians 2:15).

Hold fast and stand firm, says Paul.  How many have wavered and fallen in our day because a new wind of doctrine comes and people are blown away.  Stand fast then in the never-changing true Gospel delivered once for all.  In Christ alone is all hope, for He is the rock of our salvation.  Where you lack faith, trust in the One who gives faith.  He has already overcome so that You might join and be with Him forever.

Lord, I do not understand all of these things, but then, I do not need to, do I?  I sometimes am blown about like a piece of paper in a storm.  Help me to become like You and be an unmovable rock laid upon a foundation of truth.  Guide me, Lord, in all things so that I would now and always hold fast to what I have already been given and build my life upon You.  Help me now and always, Lord.

Lord Jesus, You are the foundation, author and finisher of my faith.  You are the One who makes this faith possible.  Lead me, O Lord, so that I would go the way You know I need to go.  In and through all things, help me see the path You lay before me and not wander from it.  Teach me how to hold fast to that which You have taught me.  Amen.

“It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:14).

It is said many places in Scripture and here it is said once again: what is the purpose of our salvation?  To become like Christ.  To gain the glory of Christ is to gain adoption as a child of the Heavenly Father.  It is not something you earn, nor deserve, but it is something you gain walking with the Savior who leads you in the way of becoming like Him.   It was for this that He called you.

Lord, You have called me to walk with You.  Guide me now and always so that I would humbly come with You to be where You are.  You know the obstacles that lie before me.  You know where I falter.  Guide me, O Lord, through these things so that the true Gospel would take hold and I would take on the glory You prepared before the foundation of the world.

Lord Jesus, You have called me to walk with You abiding in me and me in You.  You say this over and over again and yet I go off in other directions and do not do what You would have me do.  Strengthen me that I would now and always hold fast to the goodness of the Gospel I have already received and keep the faith You have given me.   Amen.

“But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

The Lord knows those who are His.  Before the foundation of the world, the Lord knew you.  It is well to leave it at that.  He knows that you are His and He has given you all the grace you need so that you may walk in salvation and see that His will is done.  You are sanctified because Christ has sanctified you.  You have been given faith in order that you might see the will of the Father accomplished in your life.

Lord, You have said that unless we become as children we cannot do this.  Too often I make these things more complex than they need to be.  Help me Lord to trust You humbly and simply  above all things.  Guide me in the way of salvation that You have prepared before me.  You have sanctified me in Your grace and Your grace is more than sufficient.  Teach me to trust these things and walk accordingly.

Lord Jesus, through Your death and resurrection, You have paved the way for all who believe.  Thank You for this gift of faith which You have given to all who believe.  Lead me Lord to see the truth, follow the truth and be a child of the Truth.  Guide me in all things, knowing that You alone are the author and finisher of my faith.  In You Lord is all hope and an eternal future.  Amen.

“For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12).

How many do you know that believe wicked things are right and good?  If it feels good, do it.  This is the state of our world.  The Lord allows them to remain deluded in their rebellion.  Yes, He loves them, and we are to love them too; but this does not mean that we join in the delusion and say that these things are okay.  They are not.  Live in the knowledge of what the Lord has told you is right and good.

Lord, it really does begin with the Ten Commandments. Help me relearn them and what they mean.  Help me to apply them to my daily life.  Guide me to know that in You alone is all hope.  Help me to know that You have already told me how things are supposed to be.  Help me to do things the way You said they should be done.  Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth and salvation.

Lord Jesus, You are the example to follow.  Just You and me.  By that, I mean that I should look to You alone (and those through whom You speak) and not to any other for guidance of how to live.  Lead me, Lord Jesus, today and every day, and help me see those places where I have been deluded.  Take away from me all false things so that I may become pure as You are pure.  Help me to understand more fully Your goodness and mercy that I may live this new life You have given me.  Amen.

“[A]nd with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:10).

They did not receive what was offered.  God has come to rescue, but there are those who will not be rescued.  The Lord does not desire that any would perish, but there are many who will.  Of course, God gets blamed for the decisions that others make.  This is all a part of the deception of wickedness.  People think they are clever when they are merely deluded.  Come into the light and presence of the One who saves.

Lord, it is not a pretty sight, but if I even take a cursory look, I see the deception of wickedness all around me; all of the temptations which never satisfy.  Lead me away from these things and into Your presence.  Lead me to know that what You have spoken is right and true, that Your statutes are good.  Help me understand these things and practice them now and forevermore.

Lord Jesus, You who see clearly, walked this world and saw things as they are.  Yet You continued to the cross for the sake of all of those who love You and come through Your atonement to the Father.  Lead me always, Lord, and keep me from straying.  Guide me according to Your purposes to live into the life of faith that You have given me.  Guide me to become like You and to flee from all the wicked deceptions in this world.  Amen.