Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.
3 John 1:2 (NASB)
“Beloved, I pray…” Can you hear the tenderness in the voice of John the Apostle, the one whom Jesus loved? William Law said, “There is nothing that makes us love a man so much as praying for him.” Prayer is the simple act of one person petitioning for the best of another. And in this text, the Apostle took a triangular approach to praying for others. First, he prayed that others (not himself) would prosper. What a sure sign of personal and spiritual maturity! Secondly, he prayed for their good health. He did not wish ill upon another, he asked God for good health. Health come from an old English word hale, meaning “wholeness, being whole, sound or well.” It means to be uninjured. So many people we encounter today have been wounded. They have been hurt mentally, physically, socially or spiritually. They look good, smell good, even act good, but the truth of the matter is it’s not all good. They’ve just learned to put on a facade to ease the pain. John says I pray that you be in “good health.”And finally, the pinnacle of his pray is Soul Prosperity. Nothing matters more to God than a flourishing soul. God is not just interested in our fiscal prosperity, nor just in our physical prosperity, he also desires prosperity of our souls. What kinds of prayers do you pray for those you call friend and family? The Apostle John says pray that they prosper!
Prayer: Father God, so often others get overlooked when my prayers are focused on me. Bring to my remembrance family, friends and even foes who are in need of prayerful petitions.
Be Blessed, Pas. Hub*
