Prayer Works Morning Devotion September 30, 2026

A Chapter By Chapter Study Of The Epistles:

1Thessalonians Chapter 2

13For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.

---

Good morning to you everybody. I pray that you had a wonderful rest of the night and you are rested. We are ready for another day and that the Lord has you in your hand in His presence and is working all things right and true in our lives. Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank You this morning for the new verses that You have given us. Thank You for Your grace. We thank You for Your love. We thank You Lord that we are Your children and You’re our Father.

Father, as we look to You, we want to continue to grow in You and the knowledge of who You are in our lives and the things that You are doing in our lives. We know Lord that You always have plans and You have always had a plan for each and every single one of us.

And that plan fits right into the bigger agenda that You have. So I pray, Lord, that the words that we hear, the times that we spend together, the communion with the Holy Spirit that we enjoy.

That God may You continue to help us in our efforts to become the very children that you are called, that You have a plan for that has peoples, that has things to do and places to go and things to accomplish.

I pray that our efforts are always guided by the Spirit because we know we must leave by the Spirit if we are saved. So Father, we broadly come before You today for the Scripture tells us that we have to come in confidence with full understanding that You hear us when we pray.

You hear us when we commune with You, with the confidence that You desire to hear from us Your children and we also desire to draw near to You.

So You can draw near to us. So Father, bless our efforts, guide us with Your Spirit, lead us into the path of salvation, strengthen the cause of our belief and our faith, strengthen our mind as we do with the world that is cursed.

 Strengthen us as we see things that we don't understand neither believe. Strengthen us, Lord, when we are told to believe certain things that are not real, so that we can stand without a shadow of doubt, that we are on Christ, the solid rock withstand, and every other single round is sinking sand.

So bless You, we bless You, Lord, and we thank You for this very morning that we are giving back to You, that we are choosing to start the day with You because You are our Father and we are Your children.

So we bless You this morning, Lord, help us open our eyes of our understanding and our hearts. So we can hear the Word and so our lives in our day can be enriched and we bless You in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen, and Amen.

Brothers and sisters, when I was, when I listened to Brother Calvin yesterday and then of course, when I was reading the book of Thessalonians yesterday and this morning.

I kind of help to see and to realize, which I've always, but the apostles had it rough, they had it very strange. I want you to think about this. Here is the man trying to preach the gospel to a world that does not have scriptures.

The church is not what we have now, where at least people have an understanding of what church is. These people don't have scriptures. They are just living life according to culture and the perspective they have that has been passed over history.

And hence, their way of thinking is diametrically opposed to the way that you and I think. The city of Thessalonica is like one of major highway. It's kind of like New York, per se.

So there's all kinds of stuff that goes on in this city from a cultural perspective, which is actually is the leading cause of the way people live in Thessalonica. Then you have also Greek gods, then you have Apollo, Athena, Hecros.

You have all kinds of stuff, Egyptian gods. I mean, this is like the epicenter of Atlanta. This is where people come right here. So you have all these religions and all these different stuff that's going on.

And then you have Romans, the political structures, then you have Jewish people. Most of these religions in there, they are all kind of missionary minded. So when you think about all the religions that are in Thessalonica, they have come to pursue their own agenda.

So there's a variety of agendas on play here. So Paul writes this letter to them. And in writing into them and coming to them and ministering to this group of people, he is then brushed with the same brush.

That was driving their perspective of culture. So you can hear Paul's defense and the things that he is writing in chapter number 2, which we'll read together, that there's issues he's been accused of.

And the issues that he's being accused of is the same things that all these other players in religions in Thessalonica are pretty much doing. So Paul is the police record that he isn't trustworthy.

Why? Because they know what Paul was before he started ministering the gospel. And by the way, he is in prison. So I want you to imagine getting a letter from somebody who's been arrested and is telling you what to do.

You probably wait a minute. I'm sure in jail. So Paul is dealing with that. And Paul is supposedly delusional. And then Paul is accused that his ministry is based on impure motives, which is the culture of perspective in the city that every other religious group receives.

Paul is, they say Paul is deliberately deceiving others. The Paul preach is to please others not God. Paul is in the ministry as a missionary to get what he can out of people, that Paul only wants personal glory.

This is all the Paul things Paul is being accused of. Paul is something of a dictator. So Paul is writing with all these noise in the background. Just like the church nowadays trying to survive with all these noise in the background.

Where we know as in church that some ministers can be trusted. That a lot of ministers that are delusional. So there's people who are in need for themselves. So all these things that you see Paul is being accused of is stuff that we are seeing nowadays.

Yet Paul, he doesn't focus on the issues. He focused on the people because he knows this gospel has to be preached. So let us go to 1 Thessalonians chapter 2.

For you yourselves know brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. But even after we had suffered before and were quite fully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict.

Which means that this is the responsibility that you and I have in this current environment. To be bold in our God, to speak to people that gospel of God in much conflict that exist.

For our exhortation did not come from errors on cleanliness, which is Paul being accused of this. Nor was it deceit, which is that's why he's writing like this, because he's being accused of that.

But as we have been approved by God to be interested with the gospel, even so we speak not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. For neither at any time did we use flattery words as you know, nor a clock for covertness.

God is witness. Nor did we see glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle on you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.

So affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased in part to you. Not only the Godful of God, but also our own lives, which means that you have to share your life. Apart from just sharing the gospel, you have to share your life, because your life is a living episode.

So affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased in part to you. Not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.

For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil, for leveraging night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preach to you the gospel of God.

You are witnesses, and God also held you forthly and justly, and blamelessly, we behaved ourselves among you who believe. As you know, how we exhorted and comfort and changed every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

That's our responsibility to walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. Brothers and sisters, your journey as a believer, it has to not only acknowledge, but it also has to show the severity in which Jesus suffered on the cross.

That's why it says, it has to be worthy to match that. Your life has to be worthy for the gospel that Jesus died for in order for you to become a Christian. This is why, in the previous chapters, it says, you are lukewarm.

I will speak to you why, because you are not working with worthy, the calling of the gospel. Verse 13, For this reason, we also thank God without seizing, because when you receive the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of man, but as it is in truth.

The word of God which also effectively works in you who believe. For your brethren became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea, in Christ Jesus.

For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, who killed both Lord Jesus in their own prophets and have persecuted us.

And they do not please God and are contrary to all men for beating us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved. So as always, to fill up the measure of their sins, wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.

Verse number 17, But we brethren have been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured more eagerly to see your face with great desire.

Therefore we wanted to come to you, even I, Paul, time and again, that Satan hindered us for what is our hope or a joy or a crown of rejoicing. He is not even new in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and He is coming for you, our glory and joy.

Brothers and sisters, there is not a single day you are going to live as a believer and not have opposition. I want us to get it in our hearts and in our minds that the day of your salvation that you give your heart and start it following Christ.

Opposition to the Word of God has always existed and it is also present in your life. But what we see and what we learn from Apostle Paul's journey is the most persecuted, most accused, most jailed, most beaten yet in spite of all that.

He has the most book written, he wrote the most sketches, he traveled a lot during the work of God in spite of the opposition. Opposition always reveals to you and I what God has installed for you tomorrow.

Without opposition, life will probably won't mean much. Without the challenges we are seeing, then the power and the full measure of the gospel will not be experienced. So I want us to get it in our hearts that opposition will always exist.

 The day you open your mouth and say you want to do A or B or C or you want to go over there or you want to do that. The day that you do that is the day that you make it known to Satan.

Because Satan doesn't know all things, he doesn't hear all things, he doesn't see all things, he doesn't know what you are thinking, he doesn't know what God is said to you spiritually.

But when you open your mouth and you put that word out there, that's the moment he starts organising himself and organising opposition around everything that you are going to do or try to do.

Our job is not to ever faint, our job is not to pay attention to culture, our job is to understand that all those things are going to happen. But I gotta keep my eyes centered on Christ and keep walking and life that is worthy of the calling that God has given you and I.

I look at this life of apostles and you realise they had it hard. That we sit here today enjoying the words they wrote in the midst of all the challenges and opposition they faced.

So we know that out of their pain and suffering and challenges, we got the sweet words of these scriptures. Brothers and sisters, we are in it. We are here now.

Things that we are seeing, the challenges that we are experiencing, the things that we will hear, the robots we will see in the streets fighting people.

We are here now. But in spite of all that opposition and the push for culture to change the dynamics of human existence, this gospel will forever stand as it has already stood the test of time. We are not reading things that didn't stand.

These scriptures, we just read in Thessalonians 2, stood against all the culture, the Greek gods, all the stuff that was being pushed the agendas and everything that was going on in that city, it stood.

And all those gods, people don't respect them anymore. But we are sitting here today reading these words from these scriptures because they survived over 2000 years and they are still enduring.

That proves to us that this gospel, the word of God that we believe in, that we will stand and we will remain when robots have come and gone, when AI has come and gone, when all this stuff has come and gone, the word of God will stood the test of time.

Opposition is nothing to the word of God. They use the scriptures for slavery, slavery is gone, scriptures are still here. So from the heart of Paul to us, we have to continue to walk worthy of the calling that God has on our lives.

And we also have to know opposition or you exist, but the words of this gospel will endure everything that will be thrown at them, everything that will come our way, things that we don't understand, where we will endure.

Even when Satan hindered Paul to come to Thessalonica, he said he still wrote and sent messages to him to an extent where they did so good that Paul said, for you our glory and joy.

So brothers and sisters, let us all remain encouraged in spite of the opposition, in spite of the challenges, in spite of the things that we see we don't understand, even things that makes us mad.

And there's plenty of those nowadays, the injustices that we see, all that is opposition to the gospel, but I'll tell you this, all that will fade away, this gospel ain't going nowhere.

So hold on to the confession of your faith, not just hold on thrive through the confession of your faith, be a soldier for this gospel, be out there knowing full world that God has your back, is walking with you, be bold, just like Paul was born in the face of all these accusations, because he believes the power of God.

That's what we ought to be, that's who we ought to become, that's who we ought to present to the world. Paul endured, and out of his misery and challenges, he wrote some of the most encouraging words in human history.

That God saw it fit to capture these words and canonize them in scriptures. As inspirational words to the churches, that then and even to the churches now. So being encouraged, be encouraged, if these apostles survived, they didn't have scripture, we have scripture.

We have scripture, and the Holy Spirit guiding us, so we have an advantage. Amen, so being encouraged, don't worry about opposition, it exists for a reason, and that reason is to strengthen you, to make you better, to make you absolute.

That's why opposition exists, to anything that you desire to do, or that you God tells you to do. So be strengthened, walking faith, walking strength, knowing that what's behind you, woof, is bigger than what can ever come at any given moment.

Amen, the gospel will survive all this mess, it will survive, because it is the power of God. Let's pray. Father, You are awesome. You are great and greatly to be praised.

You are sovereign, You have no opposition, You have no equal, You have Your own counsel, and we stand with that full acknowledging and the acknowledgement. Knowing that our beliefs in You, our faith in You, hold us together today, our lives are the evidence of our belief system.

And Father, in spite of the things that we hear and see, we stand firmly on Christ, the solid rock, because we know every other ground is thinking. I pray, Lord, that we will hold on to the confession of our faith, that we will not be amused, but the things that we see, the things that we hear.

But Father, we will know that in the midst of all that, that we hold these true words, that we ought to be bold in speaking them and teaching others. Help us as we grow. Help us as we get strengthened.

Help us, Lord, as we seek You. Show Yourself so strong in our lives, so that what we carry with us, not only will we edify us, but he will help those who are also perishing but seeking the truth.

Father, I pray for wisdom to guide our thinking, to guide our ideas, to guide the way we walk, and the way we talk to others. I pray for great grace to abound in our lives, and I pray for continued healing in emotional, physical, spiritual.

Continue, Lord, to attach those who are dealing with any physical challenges. Sarge, Mother Russell, continue to pray for Your healing, because we know that Jesus died on the cross, He proclaimed that it was finished, He saw You in Your sickness and proclaimed that it was finished.

So we claim victory for healing for Sarge and Mother Russell in the name of Jesus, we lift up widows, amongst us, Nadia, Annette Grant, Meridith Shephard, pray Lord for great grace, for these families, to not neglect for nothing.

And I pray, Lord, that as You walk with them, guide them into parts of victory, with their experience, the true nature of God, waking in their households, bless the children, protect them from harm and danger, strengthen them.

And Father, may You continue to feel the void that was left, be close to them in the name of Jesus. Thank You for all our children, and with the pressures they are feeling and dealing with, with this 25th century culture.

We send angels on assignment to continue, Lord, to clean out the house, to protect them, to serve. We pray for clean thoughts for all our children. Shut their eyes and blood, ears from despicable things, that society is throwing them, hide them under the shadow of Your wings.

Father, we trust You, because we have seen You at work. So I pray, Lord, that with all the economic challenges that we are facing, thank You for meeting our needs according to Your riches and glory.

Help us Lord as we deal with the corruption in our country, as we see how corrupt society has become. Continue to strengthen us, and to meet our needs according to Your riches and glory.

So we may never fall into the trap, that has trapped so many in the name of Jesus. We pray for this day, as we go into it, and as we deal with different things that come our way.

May we be strengthened, may we remain in our position, and we thank You, that You already have an agenda for us to do today. So open our eyes, walk with us, strengthen us, give us wisdom, as we interact with the world around us.

And I pray, Lord, that when it's all said in that, we'll give You the glory. Now lead us not into temptation, continue to deliver us from the evil one, for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever, Amen and Amen.

Brothers and sisters, please have an incredible, phenomenal day, with walking expectations, be filled with the Holy Spirit, wherever you are, in your free time, use it to pray.

And trust that the Lord has you and me, and that is guiding us into all things right and all things true. May the Lord bless you, may the Lord bless your children, your families, your nieces and nephews, and let the Lord equip you with His words.

So that you can continue to walk in the minute and with you of the calling that God has for you. We'll see you back here tomorrow, 7 a.m. Central, and 8 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. I love you dearly and have a blessed day.