ESOCS Devotional 2 November 2025 – We Give Thanks For All of You
MEMORY VERSE: “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers.” 1 Thessalonians 1:1-End
TEXT: 1 THESSALONIANS 1:1-END
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace [a]from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.
6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. 8 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. 9 For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
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It has not been long since Paul, Silvanus and Timothy founded the church in Thessalonica (2:17; Acts 17). So, their memories of the Thessalonian Christians are fresh. The Thessalonian church includes some who are misbehaving (Greek: ataktos – disorderly or unruly); and Paul encourages the church to admonish them (5:14). But he includes everyone in his thanksgiving and prayers, including those unruly ones (see also 2:13; 3:9-10). Pastors today would do well to emulate that, to include everyone, even the unruly ones, in their thanksgiving and prayers. We are in a generation where a shepherd only prays for those whose tithes are big, who are connected, rich and influential. Prophet Samuel once said, “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you” (1 Samuel 12:22). Several members have left the Church of God, and souls lost to outer darkness because of our selective prayer format. Purse and ponder, who have you prayed for?
Apostle Paul went further to say “… remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father”(v 3). Being in any sort of ministry brings with it a number of frustrations; but those are offset in substantial measure when the pastor sees a young person grow up to be a person of deep faith or a person turning from a destructive course to redemptive faith; or when the pastor just reminisces about the day-by-day acting out of faith by ordinary members of the congregation. That’s what is happening here. Timothy has visited Thessalonica to check on the Christians there, and has brought back a good report (3:6). That has caused Paul, Silvanus and Timothy to remember some of the positive things that they have seen in these Thessalonian Christians. He made mention of work of faith – the outpouring of faithful service that is the natural product of faith; labour of love – Agape is love that seeks the welfare of the other person, and that’s the kind of love that serves willingly and gladly with joy; and patience of hope – patience that “keeps on keeping on” in the face of difficult circumstances.
Dearly beloved, don’t join those who because of one’s mistake forget all the good he/she had done in the past. Our text teaches us to always remember without ceasing, the good old days and build our hope in Christ for a better tomorrow. Continually, make mention of them in your prayers, as greater testimony awaits us – “… pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16, ESV).
CHALLENGES
- What is your attitude towards people who fell from faith? Do you understand the gospel of the prodigal son?
PRAYER POINT
- Father, I give thanks to you for the many times you have for all of us, help me to always pray for others; thank you Lord Jesus, take all the glory (1 Thess. 5:18).
FURTHER READING: Job 5:1-16; 5:17-27; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-End
ESOCS Devotional 2 November 2025
