Do you sometimes find it hard to know what or how to pray for someone? Are you occasionally at a loss for words—unsure about what you should ask for or proclaim?
It doesn’t help that some believers around us always seem to know the perfect words to say or pray. If you are like me, the right phrases don’t always come so easily.
Sometimes, knowing a solid proclamation from the Bible can help us in this matter of what and how to pray. Recently, I found a passage from one of Paul’s letters that is a near-perfect blessing for almost every situation. It is truly a “can’t–miss” benediction.
Brave, but Speechless
My father was one of the most courageous people I ever knew. He served valiantly as a tank sergeant in World War II, fighting with General George Patton’s Third Army in a famous campaign known as the Battle of the Bulge. Bill Leggatt was a very brave man.
In my estimation, however, his most courageous act in life was caring selflessly for my mother for the twenty years she suffered with multiple sclerosis. Truly, a brave man!
Yet, despite all the courage he showed in life, one simple request could throw fear into my father’s heart. All you had to do was ask Dad to pray out loud in a public setting. The prospect of that simple act would cause my dad to break into a fearful sweat. If only he could have known what we will soon learn about a “can’t–miss” benediction!
All the Good Stuff
What is this near-perfect declaration and prayer? I discovered it as I was doing a study on an unrelated topic. It popped off the page and caught my eye like a ray of light.
This wonderful proclamation appears in the first chapter of the Apostle Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians, in verses 11 and 12:
“Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
I so love that phrase in verse 11: that the Lord would “fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness.” If that is not a prayer for the apex of blessing upon one’s life, I don’t know what is. All the good pleasure of His goodness! A “can’t–miss” benediction.
His Good Provision
A few weeks after discovering these wonderful words of blessing, I came upon a lovely companion Scripture for the Thessalonians passage. It is Psalm 84:11b:
“The LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
The condition there (yes, there are conditions to receiving God’s promises) is that we are obligated to walk correctly in our relationship with Jesus Christ.
It is so important for us to remember that when we conduct ourselves in a way that pleases the Lord, His response is to “fulfill all of the good pleasure of His goodness” towards us, not withholding any blessing. Indeed, He opens up His provision—every good thing He wishes to pour out upon us and upon the people for whom we pray.
My purpose in sharing these truths is to provide and suggest a valuable tool for your Christian life. Not only will you know better how to bless others; you can also receive them for yourself. The Lord desires to pour out His goodness upon you as well.
Proclaiming with Power
Many of the topics raised in this letter were principles Derek Prince highlighted in his ministry. As you well know, Derek was a great proponent of proclamation, so he would have endorsed the idea of widely proclaiming 2 Thessalonians 1:11, 12. This quote from Derek’s message, The Power of Proclamation, provides some insight for us:
“Proclamation is, as it were, confession made aggressive. In a sense, proclamation is a word of spiritual warfare. It is releasing the authority of God’s Word into a situation: into our own lives, into the life of the church, into a political situation, whatever it may be.
There are countless different situations that need the power of God released into them. There is no more effective way to release the power of God into a situation—whether your own life, your family, your church, your nation, whatever it may be—than proclamation.”
Putting It into Practice
As Derek so often reminded us, God gives us His truths, not only for our benefit, but as tools for the work He has assigned to us. How can we put this “can’t–miss benediction” into practice in an effective way for His kingdom?
Clearly, we can use this declaration to bless family members and friends as we lift them in prayer. We can also use it as a helpful proclamation for leaders and key people in the Church and in our communities. Not to be overly selfish, however, I would also recommend proclaiming it over yourself on a regular basis. Let’s do that now together.
Lord, I want to thank You for this wonderful, powerful benediction. I will use it regularly to bless my loved ones and many others in the community around me. But right now, I want to personalize it and use it for my own life:
Therefore, I pray always for myself, that my God would count me worthy of His calling for me, and that He will fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power.
I pray for myself, that the name of my Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in me, and me in Him, according to the grace of God and my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Opening the Door
It truly is a great benediction, isn’t it? Just now, you and I have appropriated it for ourselves in a life-changing way. What result can we anticipate? A fulfillment of “all the good pleasure of His goodness” in our lives. Why should we expect anything less?
The door has been opened to increased blessing in your life. Please allow all of us at Derek Prince Ministries to support you in the increasing fulfillment of the Lord’s good pleasure for you. The Derek Prince Ministries resources we can make available will give you a helpful advantage in stepping into God’s full provision for you and the ones you love.
Plans for Good
Hopefully, through what we have shared in this letter, you now have a valuable additional tool for prayer and proclamation. As we said, you can use it extensively for effective prayer and blessing for those close to you. It will also serve you well in praying for persons with whom you come into contact throughout the Body of Christ.
The added benefit of this “can’t–miss“ benediction is the impact it can have upon your own life as you personalize it and stand in its truth. Please know that it represents the will of the Lord for you as His precious child and chosen servant.
If you have any doubts that His plans for you are good and beneficial, this powerful proclamation can help to allay those fears and dispel those doubts. As the Lord Himself says so eloquently in Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT), His intentions are “…plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Each time you proclaim those verses from 2 Thess. 1:11-12, you affirm those plans. For you and many others, those words will continue to be a “can’t–miss” benediction.
