Scriptural Prayers - Wholeness & Sanctification

David W Palmer

(1 Thessalonians 5:23 KJV) … I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In this excerpt, we read that Paul was praying for the believers at Thessalonica. But, before we investigate this prayer, so we can apply and pray it, let’s first look at the translation and context.

Here is the translation from the original Aramaic in plain English.

(1 Thessalonians 5:23 APE) But The God of peace shall make all of you perfectly holy and shall keep your whole spirit, soul and body without fault for the arrival of our Lord Yeshua The Messiah.

The first thing we notice in this translation is that, unlike the KJV, it is not written as a prayer but as a promise: “The God of peace shall make … shall keep.” This is written in such a way that if you keep the preceding conditions in the previous verses, then God will do this for you.

The original Greek doesn’t have the word “pray” in it either, but it is constructed in a way that shows that this was Paul’s wish for the future (Robertson). Seeing he was a fully spiritual man, I’m sure he wouldn’t have such a strong desire for the future without it coming out in his prayers. So today, we will look at this like it was his prayer.

However, to understand Paul’s prayer/wish for the future, let’s look at the context—the verses that lead up to this prayer/desire/promise. These list the conditions and prerequisites that result in the fulfilled prayer and promise of being perfectly holy and sanctified:

1. Honour Leaders

(1 Thessalonians 5:12–13 NLT) Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. {13} Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. …

The Greek word translated as, “honour,” means to “see” or “know.” In Aramaic it means to “recognize” or “respect.” So, to meet the conditions that lead to us being sanctified and preserved blameless, we need to, see, know, recognize and respect the Lord’s choice in placing leaders—the gifted and called under-shepherds and overseers in his work. We must give them great respect as Jesus’s representatives and show them love.

2. Live at Peace with Other Christians

(1 Thessalonians 5:13 NLT) … And live peacefully with each other.

This peace is not simply the tranquility of not ruffling anyone’s feathers on a given day, or of putting a “lid” on seething feelings of discontent, hurt, or unforgiveness. The peace that he is speaking of includes dealing with unresolved wrongs, unforgiven sins, broken relationships, and/or wounds and disappointments—until they are resolved, forgiven, healed, and forgotten. To live in the peace this speaks of, we must follow the instructions for unity outlined in God’s word. (For example, see: Mat. 18:15–17), etc.

3. Be Christ-like and Shepherding with Others

(1 Thessalonians 5:14 NLT) Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

This is a perfect balance of confronting warning, and patient encouragement—all tempered with tender care and love.

4. Overcome Evil with Good

(1 Thessalonians 5:15 NLT) See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

5. Live in the Spirit and Give no Expression to the Flesh

(1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 KJV) Rejoice evermore. {17} Pray without ceasing. {18} In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

6. Don’t Put the Holy Spirit’s Fire Out

(1 Thessalonians 5:19–21 KJV) Quench not the Spirit. {20} Despise not prophesyings. {21} Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

No one disputes that it may be easier and more simple to stop people prophesying and moving in Holy Spirit gifts altogether, but God says not to do this. If we do, we are “quenching,” or extinguishing, the Holy Spirit’s fire. And he specifically mentions prophecy—do not despise or scoff at prophecies. Instead—and even though this can be messy and challenging—learn how to operate in corporate spiritual gifts effectively. To do this, we have to “prove all things.” In other words, we will need to learn how to lovingly judge the given words that claim to be prophetic. Paul gives some more details on how this should operate:

(1 Corinthians 14:29–31 NKJV) Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. {30} But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. {31} For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.

Once the prophetic words have been “judged” by the other prophets, the Holy Spirit tells us to “hold fast” to that “which is good.” In other words, we eat the meat and throw out the bones. Or, we dig for gold. God is speaking to us by his Spirit, and we desperately need to hear what he is saying. This is so we can stay on track, mature in Christ, and be ready when he returns. After all, to get God’s full counsel on a given day or meeting, we need to hear all the pieces that come through his different mouthpieces. This way, we get the full counsel of God … and we won’t miss anything important—any crucial piece of information we need for safety, well-being, wholeness, preparedness, encouragement, and enlightenment.

7. Flee from Every Sort of Evil

(1 Thessalonians 5:22 NLT) Stay away from every kind of evil.

As we adhere to all seven of these conditions, then verse 23 comes into effect and the prayerful wish comes to pass:

(1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 NLT) Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. {24} God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.

“God will make this happen.” If we do our part—by faith in his grace and holy power to enable our obedience—God will do his. The combination of prayer, responsibility, and divine partnership will bring us to being “holy in every way.” Then our “whole spirit and soul and body” will be “kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.” We most definitely need this to happen in our lives and in those we watch over. God is faithful to do his part. Are we going to be faithful and do our parts too?

Today, let’s pray this as a prayer over ourselves and each other, and let’s take onboard the seven sections of instructions and do them. Then, by faith, we can receive this promise/desire/prayer fulfilled:

(1 Thessalonians 5:23 KJV) … I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I certainly want to be fully ready for Jesus’s return, and I assume you do too. So, let’s take very seriously what we have seen today; it is God’s way to get ready. (When taken alongside other Scripture promises and instructions of course.)