II Thessalonians 3:1 “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: 2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.”
Paul requested prayer for three things: “that the word of the Lord may have free course”, “that the word of the Lord may … be glorified”, and “that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men”! A “free course” is a “course” that has the obstacles and hazards and diversions removed. In every generation, “men” that “have not faith” hatefully cast obstacles and hazards and diversions in the Christian path in an effort to stop the prosperity and dissemination of the blessed Gospel message. They place obstacles in the Gospel “course” to prevent the preaching and teaching of the Gospel. They place hazards in the Gospel “course” to hinder and slow down the preaching and teaching of the Gospel. They introduce diversions in the Gospel “course” to distract and tempt away those who are preaching and teaching the Gospel. So, let us also pray fervently that our Almighty God will give us a “free course” for the Gospel in our Day. And, let us pray that the Lord’s Preachers will “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus”, that they will preach and teach the Gospel “to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also”, that they will “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”, that they will be careful to not entangle themselves “with the affairs of this life; that” they “may please him who hath chosen” them “to be a soldier” (II Timothy 2:1-2), and that they will “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (II Timothy 4:2). Furthermore, let us pray that we will all have the courage and strength to “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee” (Mark 5:19) and to “sanctify the Lord God in” our “hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh” us “a reason of the hope that is in” us “with meekness and fear” (I Peter 3:15). Let us have confidence that our Lord will hear our prayers, for He plainly declared, “upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). That “rock” is the unchangeable truth of what Peter had just declared, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). May it be truthfully said of our generation, ‘they were faithful soldiers of Jesus Christ’!