This week a troubled soul asked me for prayer from scripture. This soul is shackled to a spouse whose life is spiraling out of control. As Tom Painter observed yesterday: “You cannot live in two houses at the same time.” My takeaway was that we must leave Satan’s house to live in God’s home.

Paul prays such a prayer for the Christians at Thessalonica – who were striving to soar towards heaven while searing from Satan’s fiery darts. Specifically, these new converts needed to know: How to handle hardships (3:3-5); Schooling on saintly living (4:1-12); And guarantees for those gone to be with God (4:13-18). To this church, Paul PRAYS for an increasing LOVE (3:12) that moves into HOLINESS (3:13).

1 Thessalonians 3:11–13 (ESV) — 11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Friend, would you too pray that our God and Father make us “increase and abound in love for one another” as we individually loosen ourselves from hell bound habits, “so that he may establish” our “hearts blameless in holiness”.

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Application: Are you close to a soul living in “Satan’s house”? Instead of being impatient, try to gently warn & then selflessly love the person back into His Body. At the same time, set your soul free by accepting that, after you have warned said soul, you are only responsible for your own soul (Eze.3:18-21).