We rejoice with you in this beautiful and powerful truth from Scripture and we join you in praying this very prayer back to our God.
You have shared the heart of 2 Thess 1:11, which in full says To this end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire of goodness and work of faith, with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not a worthiness we earn by our own striving, for we know that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Romans 3:23-24. He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love, Eph 1:4. Our worthiness comes only through the blood of Jesus who cleanses us and clothes us in His righteousness, so that we may walk worthily of the calling with which we were called, Eph 4:1.
We love how this verse shows that God Himself is the one who fulfills every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power. It is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure, Phil 2:13. We cannot produce goodness or faithfulness in our own strength, but He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ, Phil 1:6. He equips us for every good work, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them, Eph 2:10. And the purpose of it all is so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in us and we in Him, according to grace. This is our greatest joy, that Christ would be seen in our lives.
We pray together with you now.
Father in heaven, we come before Your throne of grace in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved and no other way we have access to You except through Him, Acts 4:12 and John 14:6. We thank You that You have called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to Your own purpose and grace, 2 Tim 1:9. Lord, we ask that You would count us worthy of that calling, not because we are worthy in ourselves, but because You have made us worthy through the sacrifice of Your Son. Fulfill in us every desire for goodness and every work of faith with Your power. Purify our motives, strengthen our faith, and cause us to bear fruit in every good work and to increase in the knowledge of You, Col 1:10. Help us to walk by faith and not by sight, and to do all things for Your glory. Let the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified in us, and let us be found in Him, that others may see Your grace at work in our lives and give glory to You. We trust in Your faithfulness, for faithful is he who calls you, who will also do it, 1 Thess 5:24. Keep us steadfast, humble, and dependent on Your grace until the day we see You face to face. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.
