Re:Verse passage – 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 (day three)
“Finally, brethren, pray for us…”
A closing prayer, or, as in this passage, a closing request for prayer, seems unremarkable. It’s almost perfunctory, routine, rote. It’s expected in a customary sense, like the credits rolling after a movie concludes. Some people remain in the theater to look at the names scrolling by, though for most, that list serves as the signal that the movie has ended (unless there’s a surprise post-credits scene, but whatever). When understood in such a way, a prayer is simply a marker of finality: “This concludes our communication.” But Paul’s closing request for prayer was no formality. It was a solicitation of energy from the spiritual realm – power to continue gaining a hearing for God’s goodness, and strength to recover from the discouragement evil brings. A call for prayer is a plea for heaven-sent confidence.
