Busy week? Me too. LDSLiving is here to catch you up and get you ready for discussions on Sunday. Here’s a nugget of wisdom from this week’s Come, Follow Me study of the letters of Paul to the Thessalonians.
We have learned a lot about the power of prayer throughout the New Testament. From Christ’s pleas on the cross and in the Garden to Peter’s miraculous escape from prison, prayer is a constant in the early church. And we can still look to the uplifting power of prayer today.
Making mention in our prayers
Paul expresses his love for the saints he writes to in different ways. As he pens different letters, he is like the world’s greatest stake high councilor, bringing with him love and thoughts and prayers as he goes. 1 Thessalonians 1:2 says “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers”, which is a simple verse of introduction but brings home the doctrine and precedent of Church leaders praying for the saints.
In the Sunday on Monday podcast this week, Tammy prepared and read all the times that our current prophet President Russell M. Nelson has specifically mentioned praying for all of us in the past few general conferences:
- During these past six months, you have been constantly on my mind and in my prayers. (April 2023)
- You are constantly on my mind. I marvel at the way you spring into action whenever you see others in need. I stand amazed at the faith and testimony you demonstrate again and again. I weep over your heartaches, disappointments, and worries. I love you. I assure you that our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, love you. They are intimately aware of your circumstances, your goodness, your needs, and your prayers for help. Again and again, I pray for you to feel Their love for you. (October 2022)
- I pray for you every day. (April 2022)
- You have been on my mind almost constantly during the past six months. I have prayed about you and for you. (October 2021)
- I pray constantly that the Lord will comfort you. (April 2021)
- I grieve with each of you who has lost a loved one during this time. And I pray for all who are currently suffering. (October 2020)
Just as Paul prayed for the people in Thessalonica, we have a servant of the Lord praying for us today, too. We just had another opportunity at general conference to hear from a prophet and to feel his care and his prayers for us.
So don’t let your eyes glance over this verse in the Come, Follow Me reading this week, and don’t let your ears miss the next time one of our called leaders, whether it’s the prophet or your local auxiliary leaders, expresses their love. These prayers can buoy us up, and they can have an even more profound effect when we take the time to acknowledge them.
That was my takeaway this week! To hear more takeaways from other Latter-day Saints on this block of scripture, join our study group on Facebook and Instagram.
Sunday on Monday is a Come, Follow Me podcast hosted by Tammy Uzelac Hall that is released every Monday to guide you through the scripture readings for the week. This week covers 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Our podcast guests this week were Laurel Day and Tamu Smith. You can listen to full episodes on Deseret Bookshelf Plus and find out more at ldsliving.com/sundayonmonday.
