Making mention
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers
(1 Thessalonians 1:2).
It has struck me over recent months what a powerful action “mentioning” something is. I was emailing a friend for some information recently and in the course of the exchange a brother’s name came to mind. I had not seen him for over 20 years, yet memories flooded back of the happy fellowship we enjoyed over a brief period. I felt a fresh sense of thankfulness for the times we spent together. In 1 Thessalonians 1 you can see the progression in Paul’s mind as he remembers the Thessalonian believers. And, as on so many occasions, even when he had to deal with difficult issues and be very direct, he begins with thankfulness. It was not a passing thankfulness but a continuous one: “We give thanks to God always for you.” Paul had a deep affection for the people of God. I suspect he never forgot the time he spent devoting himself to trying to destroy the Flock of God. But he was not writing the kind of letter he had requested from the High Priest in Acts 9:2 for permission to persecute Christians. He was no longer a wolf, but a shepherd of Christ’s flock. And his heart was filled with thankfulness for the saints in Thessalonica that he had led to Christ.
This thankfulness led him to pray for those who were upon his heart. We often end our prayers with thankfulness, but Paul begins with it. In Philippians 4 he writes, “…in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (v. 6). Thankfulness is to pervade our prayers like a fragrance. It is not only expressed in response to what God has given us, but is also the expression of the happy confidence we have in the God who supplies all our need “according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19) and in the knowledge “that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Roman 8:28).
It was with such a thankful heart that the apostle prayed for the Thessalonians, mentioning their names in God’s presence. I have the feeling that Paul had a long prayer list and a long memory. It is the mentioning of names that is so powerful. If we remind each other of another person, we will recall a few or perhaps many memories. But when we mention someone’s name to God, He recalls everything. In the Bible, God records many lists of names. Some are written in books, others were engraved on jewels, and some were engraved on the palms of His hands. Everyone was completely known by God and they were objects of His love. What we cannot express, He understands. When we mention someone’s name in prayer, in that moment we are in fellowship with God in caring for His people and seeking their good. This increases our affection for them. The ministry of prayer draws us into the presence of God. Intercession does not simply bring needs before our Father: it brings people before Him. It draws us nearer to our brothers and sisters in Christ, and it makes us aware of the spiritual needs of those who we so desire to find Christ. We can talk a lot about prayer changing things, but God wants prayer to change us.
