Prepare your heart for the Sermon by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together hearing God's Word.
You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and prayerfully seeking wisdom to deepen your understanding of the passage to be preached this Sunday.
Carefully Think
- Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22
- What is the command in v. 17?
- How often are we to be praying?
- What is prayer?
- What reasons for praying might the Thessalonians find within the letter of 1 Thess?
- Where else have we seen prayer in 1 Thess?
- What might some common misconceptions be to applying this command?
- How is biblical prayer different from a worldly view of prayer? Differer from other religions?
- What are some of the benefits of praying without ceasing?
Prayerfully Meditate
- How does one pray without ceasing?
- Notice the all-encompassing words used in verses 15-18. Make a list of these words.
- What might Paul be doing by stringing these all-encompassing commands together?
- Why might God require his people to pray?
- How should the apostle’s prayers found in this letter impact the Thessalonians?
- Why do you think Paul was compelled to command them to pray? Why would they need this instruction?
- How is prayer an act of humility?
- Why do you think Paul included the prepositional phrase “without ceasing”?