4 Minute Read
Prepare Your Heart
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Read God’s Word
A Verse for Today
Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
3 John 2 (CSB): “Dear friend, I pray that you are prospering in every way and are in good health, just as your whole life is going well.”
Reflecting on God’s Word
Amid the moral concerns we face in 21st-century America, there is so much to celebrate. One very clear reason is the progress in medical science. If someone develops cancer, has serious heart trouble, or has a horrible accident that partially amputates a limb, medical science has come so far that many people will probably survive those horrible physical maladies and may enjoy wonderful health for years to come.
This has not been the case in 99.9% of world history. Only 100 years ago, people were dying of treatable things like pneumonia, diarrhea, appendicitis, and so much more. Because of this, people tended to struggle with poor health and died much younger than people do now.
This was certainly the case 2,000 years ago, when the Apostle John wrote the letter we call 3 John. In that context, we read the verse I chose for today.
3 John 2 (CSB): “Dear friend, I pray that you are prospering in every way and are in good health, just as your whole life is going well.”
John was praying that Gaius, the recipient of this letter, was in good health. He was praying that there was no serious concern that may cause him grief and/or pain, or maybe even lead to an early death.
But we also notice something else. John didn’t merely pray for Gaius’s health. He prayed for three things, namely his life experiences, health, and spiritual well-being.
First, John was concerned about Gaius’s overall condition. He said, “I pray that you are prospering in every way.” The word for “prospering” also means “success” and “going well.” John clearly wanted things to go well for Gaius and for success to be the end result of whatever he was involved in. It is not always God’s will for things to go well (see Job 1-2; etc.), but we can certainly pray for it.
Second, John was concerned with Gaius’s health. He said, “I pray that you … are in good health.” All we need to do is read the Gospels to observe that Jesus wasn’t solely concerned with people’s spiritual condition. He often healed people of physical maladies. So, to follow Jesus, we should pray for others’ health and pray for modern medicine and procedures to be used by the Lord to bless others.
Finally, John was concerned about Gaius’s spiritual condition. He said, “Dear friend, I pray that you are prospering in every way and are in good health, just as your whole life is going well.” The word for “life” is the Greek word that can be translated as “soul/life/self.” This is the word that speaks of who we are in our essence, the part that will live on forever, and the part that can commune with God.
This is a helpful paradigm for determining how to pray for others. While we tend to focus on physical needs rather than spiritual ones, we see that we are to pray for both. Pray for others to do well at work, at school, to have enjoyable marriages, to be successful in raising godly kids, and so much more. Also, pray for any health concerns they may have. Finally, pray for their salvation, and if they are saved, pray for their sanctification (becoming less like the world and more like Jesus).
So, in your prayers for family members and others, consider praying for their success in life, their health, and their spiritual condition. In doing so, we are praying for the same sort of things the Apostle John prayed for in 3 John 2.
Spend Time in Prayer
- Ask God to help you see that He cares about people’s spiritual well-being and about other things, too. So pray for those things.
Going Deeper
If you want to dig a little deeper into 3 John 2, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:
Sharing
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Matt Ellis is the pastor of White Hall Baptist Church in Richmond, Kentucky (whitehallbaptistchurch.org)
Matt’s Musings 