“Not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you” (1 Thessalonians 4:5-6).

Do your passions rule you?  Our culture accentuates feelings and passion, but they can quickly become mindless emotions.  Do not be ruled by how you feel, but by what is right and fitting.  Do not go the way of the world which tells you to always do what feels good.  Go the way of the Lord which directs you to be good.  This is a clear and distinctive way in which others can know you belong to the Lord.

Lord, guide me in the better and eternal way of life.  I can easily follow my heart, my feelings, my passions, but it is not as easy to do what is right.  Lead me, Lord, in order that I may walk humbly with You, my Maker.  Guide me in the right way of living so that I may learn and practice all that You command.  O Lord, You know all that is needed.  Provide all I need so that I may walk with You.

Lord Jesus, I know this is not optional, but a part of what You have come to accomplish in this thing we call salvation.  Yet, I have my part.  Let me not follow the constant noise of this world, joining in their ideas of the pursuit of happiness.  Instead, lead me today and every day to take seriously the admonition You give to humbly walk in Your example and way.  Help me to begin again this day.  Amen.

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;  that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4)

The particularity of your struggle may differ, but the goal is the same, that you are in Jesus and that He is in you.  The Lord has come so that you may be sanctified in Him.  The Lord has come that You may have life and have it abundantly.  Come then into the life of sanctification and no longer give yourself away to things that are less important.  Live as one who is chaste in the Lord and loving Him above all things.

Lord, You know where I break the law and do not do these things that You ask.  Help me, O Lord, so that I may be guided by You and know Your eternal goodness.  Let me not fall into the temptation of this world but be transformed in and through You.  Lead me now and always in this direction.  Show me the path that I must follow.  Open my eyes to know the difference with what is being spoken here.

Lord Jesus, I know I need salvation and that You are the Savior.  Help my timidity and unbelief so that I see more clearly each day what is needed to build on this relationship which You have established.  Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth.  You are the way of truth, for you are Truth.  Lead me now and always in the way You know I need to go and help me always to follow.  Amen.

“For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 4:2).

You know the commandments and you know they come from Jesus.  Do you know Jesus?  This is not to ask if you know about Jesus, it is to ask if you know Jesus personally.  We tend to play games with what we do and do not know.  The Lord has revealed Himself so that we might know Him.  In Him is life.  Not just knowing about Him, but living in Him.  This is an intimate proposition that is the Gospel and it is salvation.

Lord, You know where I am and the games I play with myself.  This world is filled with pretense.  We are concerned with what others think.  Help me, O Lord, to see through the pretense and realize the depth, power, and reality of the Gospel.  Guide me, Lord, in the way of truth in order that I may now and always be guided by You and You alone to live into the Good News of great joy.

Lord Jesus, You have invited me to live in a relationship with You.  You said that I should abide in You and You in me.  Guide me, Lord, to do just this.  Help me to see Your desire and intent as I study the law, not seeing this as some test, but as the way of living in relationship with You.  Guide me Lord, for You know the way I need to go.  Let me not be hindered by this world but transformed by You.  Amen.

“Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more” (1 Thessalonians 4:1).

Follow the instructions.  How simple is that?  Yet, what we often find is that the instructions are modified.  We question each step of the way as to why something should be as it is.  Why are we doing it that way?  Learn again to follow the instructions and if the Lord tells you to do something, receive it even if He says, “Because I said so.”  The Lord knows what He is doing.

Lord, I do not understand why I want to question everything.  Lead me, O Lord, so that I may always be guided by You.  Help me when I do not follow instructions to follow where You lead.  Guide me, Lord, in order that each day I would become more like what You have always intended.  In Your goodness, lead me into all righteousness through and with You.

Without You, Lord Jesus, it would be impossible.  That is why I must be saved.  Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth.  You are Truth and Your word is truth.  Guide me, Word of life, so that I would take on Your image and become like You.  Help me to simply follow the instructions You give and not argue with You each step of the way.  Lead me now and forever, Lord God, so that I would fulfil Your design for me.  Amen.

“So that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints” (1 Thessalonians 3:13).

“So that you may,” is the direction to which we are heading.  Do not think that somehow the ancient church accomplished this goal.  In eternity we shall be presented without spot or blemish, just as Christ was when He was crucified for us.  The journey of this life is one whose purpose is to put on Christ and become like Him.  We are to be wholly set apart for the Lord and live in Him.

Lord, You know where I am in this journey.  Help me to always see things in such a way that I know there is need to go farther, for in truth I know that I have many things in me which are not holy or blameless.  But some of those things are not as I imagine.  Help me to always look to You, for You are the finisher of my faith.  In You alone will all of this come to fruition.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way I need to go.

Today, Lord Jesus, be my complete guide.  In Your Spirit, lead me each step of the way so that I might be guided by Your example and in the way You have established.  Thank You for providing all that is needed.  Thank You for clearing the way so that all those who love You would be prepared to be with You forever.  Let me not rest until my time to sleep before the resurrection in order that I might be presented complete according to Your plan.  Amen.

“Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you” (1 Thessalonians 3:11-12)

The Lord commanded that we love one another and Him with all we are.  This has never stopped being the prime directive.  We are to love others as He first loved us.  We are to increase in love.  God is love and we were created in His image.  Therefore, increase in love and in the likeness of the Lord.  Know that He will accomplish this in all who love Him and believe in His promises.

Lord, continue to guide me in the way You know I need to go.  Help me now and always to see that in You there is all hope and glory.  Guide me, Lord, according to Your will and by Your Holy Spirit so that I would grow in love and therefore in Your likeness.  Let not anything hinder the way I need to go.  Lead me each and every day You give me to keep the prize in my mind and live according to the Father’s will.

Lord Jesus, You know all that is needed.  Through Your Holy Spirit, You know me better than I know myself.  Continue to lead me and remove from me all sin and from those acts by which I resist the cure that grace brings.  Guide me in all goodness to see that in You alone is there hope and the promised eternal future.  Do not let anything hinder the way I need to go.  Guide me now and always, Lord, to be in the Father’s will.  Amen.

“For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?” (1 Thessalonians 3:9-10)

All have places in their faith life where they are lacking.  We each need the help of the Lord and He often gives that help through others.  Be willing to receive what the Lord gives and be willing to receive those whom He sends.  Know that the Lord will not stop until He has done all that He intends to do that you, His bride, may be presented without spot or blemish on that day.

Do not resist the Lord, nor turn away from what He is doing.  Know that the Lord will accomplish these things according to His will. Come then and live in the hope He gives You and know that He will do all of this if You allow Him to. In this sense, the sooner the better.  Receive the earnest prayers of those who prayed for you and receive what the Lord will do for you in answer to those prayers.

Lord Jesus, You know how many over the years have been praying that I would live into this life of faith You have given me.  Do not stop until all the help I need has been given.  Then, turn me around and send me to help others in the way I have been helped.  Guide me to be a willing and freely-giving part of the bride You are shaping for eternity.  Lead me ever deeper in faith.  Amen.

“But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you,  for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 3:6-8).

There is something to this idea of standing firm.  It is strange, but it often seems as though the church is looking for relevance when, in fact, it has the truth.  The world on the other hand seems to be bold in declaring it has the answer when it is always changing because it is spitting in the wind and listening to the wicked one who is chasing those of the world and whipping them up in a lather of frenzy while chasing everything and nothing.

Lord, You have spoken the word of truth once for all.  Help me see that truth clearly.  Help me to hear the truth plainly.  Help me to apply the truth as it has been applied over the ages.  Guide me so that I may be one who lives the way of truth and does not falter from humbly walking with You.  Your Word is truth and You have given Your Word in order that all who believe could walk in salvation.

Lord Jesus, Word of Truth, guide me today and everyday so that I would walk with You and apply all that You taught Your disciples to my life.  Let me be neither haughty, nor fearful, but firm in the conviction You have given me.  Your Word is truth and You have shown us the way to live.  You have provided grace upon grace in order that we would be free to live in the right way.  Lead me now, Lord, to live the life You have given me.  Amen.

“For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain” (1 Thessalonians 3:5).

Can a fellowship be led astray?  Read for yourself: yes, it can.  The tempter will temp with whatever can lead people astray.  Do not think it could not happen to you.  Look around you.  Many who once displayed faithfulness now act as if there were no faith at all.  This does not mean being paranoid, but only diligent and steadfast.  Hold to the truth delivered once for all in Christ.

Lord, where there are errors in my thinking, correct them.  Where I have wandered, bring me back to the safe ground.  Where I am waffling, show me the firm place to stand my ground.  Let my response be “no” every time to the tempter and “yes” every time to You.  You have bought me and brought me through grace to this place.  Guide me Lord in the way of truth You have established.

Holy Spirit, You know my heart and where I have wandered.  Keep bringing me back to the safe place established by Christ that I call grace.  Guide me in Your goodness to flee from the wicked one and run into Your arms of grace and mercy.  Through all things, help me to hold fast to the truth which has come down through the ages.  Be my guide and direction and keep me in the narrow way of truth.  Amen.

“For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know” (1 Thessalonians 3:4).

Have we not heard that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and the hope of Christ has therefore been poured into us?  Do not be surprised at the hostility in this world, for the world continues to hate the Lord.  Hear what is told you beforehand so that when it comes to pass you may stand firm in the faith that You have been given.

Lord, all things are in Your hands.  They always have been and always will be.  Lead me, O Lord, to not react to circumstances, but see that You are here with me.  Guide me Lord so that I may stand firm in the truth of Your presence and purpose.  In spite of what happens to me in this world, lead me to learn to be faithful in, through and above all things.  Whatever afflictions may come, guide me to hold fast to You.

Lord Jesus, You know affliction.  The world has hated You from the beginning.  But in You and through You the world is knitted together and has its being.  Let me no longer hold to this world but be transformed by Your goodness and mercy.  Lead me in Your grace to hold fast to You no matter what affliction comes so that I may now and always be known as one who believes in You and all that You have done.  Amen.