Bible Study: April 15, 2026

Prayer  

As usual, we start with prayer. Is there anything from the last week that you want to voice over that we can pray for? Maybe a prayer was answered since last time? Or maybe something wonderful happened that you can praise God for by telling us? Later, let's also talk about prayer requests for challenges and for those whom we know and love.

Praise 

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of Heav'n to Earth come down,

Fix in us thy humble dwelling, All thy faithful mercies crown;

Jesus, thou art all compassion, Pure, unbounded love thou art;

Visit us with thy salvation, Enter ev'ry trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit, Into ev'ry troubled breast;

Let us all in thee inherit, Let us find thy promised rest;

Take away our love of sinning; Alpha and Omega be;

End of faith as its beginning, Set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver; Let us all thy grace receive;

Suddenly return, and never, Never more thy temples leave.

Thee we would be always blessing, Serve thee as thy host above,

Pray, and praise thee without ceasing, Glory in thy perfect love.

Finish, then, thy new creation; Pure and spotless let us be;

Let us see thy great salvation Perfectly restored in thee;

Changed from glory into glory Till in Heav'n we take our place,

Till we cast our crowns before thee, Lost in wonder, love, and praise

Passage

1Thessalonians 3:6-13

⁶ But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought us the good news of your faith and love. He has told us also that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, just as we long to see you. ⁷ For this reason, brothers and sisters, during all our distress and persecution we have been encouraged about you through your faith. ⁸ For we now live, if you continue to stand firm in the Lord. ⁹ How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? ¹⁰ Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.

¹¹ Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. ¹² And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. ¹³ And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Ponder

1.      What warms your heart from this passage or praise moment? Why?

2.      The more we read through Thessalonians, the more we see Paul’s obsession with thankfulness firstly to God in his prayer life. In verse nine, he states, “How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you?” Although there is so much joy for/in the congregation, and Paul is so excited about their spiritual growth,  that joy here results in thanking firstly. Firstly, Paul is thankful of God's work in the people. Paul is rejoicing and bringing encouragement to the church because of the work that God is doing in their lives. How do you think that may teach us to encourage each other even better... via thanking God firstly?

3.      In verse ten, Paul says, “Night and day we pray most earnestly” (ref. morning prayers, nightly prayers, mid-day prayers, etc.). This perhaps brings up a question for many of us: are we taking the time to pray throughout our regular waking hours for those both in and outside of the faith (v.12)? And if so, what does/can that look like for you in the course of a day? Teach us. What does prayer look like for you at home, at work, or with friends, with your partner, or on your personal walks/hikes, at night, or other places and times that you pray for others?

4.      There’s a second part to verse ten that we may be missing. Paul not only states that they are praying for them, but that prayer is also met with action. Paul is not just saying, “I’ll pray for you in your situation.” Paul is also praying that his Christian service [hands and feet] is a part of their restoration as well. In your opinion, what do both prayer and service together bring that one act by itself could not?

5.      Paul’s prayer in verse twelve calls for an overflow of love among the believers…but also for everyone else outside of the faith. Are there currently people on your mind that you’re praying for who are outside of the faith? Again, teach us all here. Why them? And how do you pray for them?  

6.      In verse thirteen, Paul prays that the church be strengthened by the Lord “[in their] hearts in holiness that [they] may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” With those to whom you connect, what does praying for that person’s faith look like to you—and how can we copy you? Also, Elders: what does prayer for those in your care look like?

Purposeful Prayer

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