Today's Passage - 1 Thess 3:7-10

1 Thessalonians 3:7-10 Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. Paul had a big heart towards the believers in the Thessalonica church. These were his spiritual children and as a spiritual father, when he saw the persecution they were going through, he got really anxious! On the other hand, Paul definitely understood that he cannot do anything for his spiritual children, it all depends on God. In verse 9, when he saw how God was watching over the believers in the Thessalonica church, he gave thanks to God because he knew that this was the work of God and not his own work. In the same way we have the same concern for our physical children or spiritual children. Especially parents of teenagers, when they see their teenager growing up and going into the world, their hearts are filled with anxiety, and they start to nag at them. We want to use our own way and we have our own expectations for our children, but they are no longer within our control and we do not have much influence over them or ability to guide them, as such we get really anxious. We need to learn to bring all our anxieties to the Lord in prayer and learn from Paul to depend on God. We need to learn that what can strengthen us or our children is not ourselves, but God. Hence, we need to depend on Him! Paul gave us an example here. He prayed for his spiritual children day and night. In the same way, we need to learn to pray fervently and unceasingly for our children, not that God will change them, but to lift up our children before God and not interfere in God's work in their lives. Often when we come to God, we have in mind what we want God to do. When we are crying out before God, we will often discover that His way is higher than our ways. May the Lord help us to quiet down before Him and pray according to His will. When we are willing to surrender to God and trust Him, we will discover that His hand is moving miraculously in our lives. Let us trust God wholeheartedly and bring our physical and spiritual children before God and believe that He will guide us! Pray with Pastor Tong Lord, I thank you because in our lives you are the God who strengthens us! I pray you will comfort those who are parents so that when they are worrying about their children. Strengthen their faith so that they will depend on you, and pray for their children according to your will, so that ultimately, their children will turn back to you. I thank you and pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!   Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - Follow the project on Facebook ! Help us to reach our Phase I Target, and witness how God expands His Kingdom on earth!  Click here to donate online.