1 Thessalonians 3:10

“night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face, and may perfect that which is lacking in your faith?”

“Night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face”: “Night and day making very abundant entreaties” (Rhm). The expression “ Night and day does not denote prayer at two set times, but rather continued prayer. And if it is continual it is also fervent. There is nothing perfunctory or merely formal about Paul's prayers. His prayer springs from. sense of deprivation. He feels that he needs them and prays accordingly” (Morris p. 109).

Prayer is. great answer to Satan's hindrances (1 Thessalonians 2:18). Stott notes, “Perhaps his activities overlapped on another, so that he found he could pray even while he was engaged in his tent-making. What he says he prayed for was that now, in defiance of Satan's hindrances, he might be able to visit them” (p. 66). “Despite sending Timothy and receiving good news from him Paul's heart still aches to actually be with the Thessalonians” (Marshall p. 98). “And may perfect”: “Meaning to restore, equip, or complete. It was used in various contexts, for example of. fisherman repairing his nets,. surgeon setting bones, and. politician reconciling factions” (Stott p. 66). “To adjust, fit together; so mend” (Vincent p. 33). “That which is lacking in your faith”: ‘What is yet wanting” (Con). “What needs advancement” (Ber). Success against. temptation does not mean that one does not need any more help or instruction. One success does not make you. complete, whole and mature Christian. These were new converts and they needed additional instruction (Hebrews 5:12). Morris notes, “Yet in this joy at the faith that they undoubtedly possessed he was not oblivious to the sterner realities of the situation. His desire to be with them was accompanied by the desire to be useful by remedying the defects there were in that faith” (p. 109). The Thessalonians are. good accurate gauge to measure our own growth by. They were faithful in spite of serious opposition, they had turned from idolatry, they loved each other and Paul, yet God still said that they had gaps in their faith.

Paul's prayer and fervent desire