Saturday 18th October
Read 2 Thessalonians 3:2-3
“And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” (NIVUK)
Paul’s attempts to return to Thessalonica were thwarted by evil (cf 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20) so his request for prayer for deliverance from wicked people is not without need. There are two implicit assumptions in Paul’s request that folks in the west may not easily accept.
The first is that evil exists and actively opposes those with faith. Paul considers those who have heard about Jesus and rejected His claims likely to work against him and those he loves. One wonders if the ‘harmless’ folk who do not have faith are a third category?
The second is that prayer is genuinely effective. When the Lord taught His nascent discipleship community how to pray, He taught them to ask for ‘deliverance from the evil one’ or ‘deliverance from evil’ (Matthew 6:13b). He knew that the Father hears such prayers, cares, and answers.
The Lord’s lessons in prayer are not an exercise in rote recital. They are powerful and meaningful requests in the face of evil upon the earth. The absence of such prayers in our lives speaks volumes.
