DEVOTION - Day 23

1 Thessalonians 1:2 (New International Version)

2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.


This Scripture spoke to me in a less than obvious way. So, I ask that you bear with my thoughts tonight as they are probably not what you heard when you read this verse. For me, the words written in 1 Thessalonians 1:2 challenged my prayer life.

Consuela and I have many opportunities to pray for others. We participate in the prayer teams at the main church service, we lead Refuge and hear all kinds of prayer requests there, and we have friends, family, and co-workers asking us to pray for them often. So, our lives are full of many times where we need to “continually mention” people in our prayers.

However, I can say that our prayers for others are hindered by our own busy lives and lack of diligence in remembering all of the prayer requests we hear. In other words, we forget and therefore do not always follow through when we tell someone that we would pray for them. This is a burden that falls heavy on my heart and is the challenge that God laid on me when I read this verse.

So, who have you told that you would pray for them and haven’t? Who should you be continually mentioning in your prayer time with God and are not? What habits can you put in place to help you remember to follow through on this important practice so that you can tell others that you are lifting them up to God?

Pray today that God will help you to follow through when you tell someone that you will pray for them. Ask Him for the memory to recall of the needs that you know those around you have. Finally, pray for those people that immediately came to your mind as you read this (and if you can’t think of anyone, Consuela and I are always grateful for your prayers).