After being arrested and held overnight in the jail at Philippi, the Apostle Paul and his coworker Silas met a final time with the nascent Philippian church and then continued on their journey west. They followed the Egnatian Road to Thessalonica and found a synagogue to attend.
Thessalonica was a major city, set on Macedonia’s largest port. It was also the capital of the second oldest district in the province, and the home of the Roman Proconsul. Paul and Silas were well received in the synagogue, and their message that Jesus is the Messiah (Acts 17:3) convinced some Jews and a “large number of God-fearing Greeks.” After the harassment and mistreatment in Philippi, the response in Thessalonica must have been profoundly encouraging.
However, Paul and Silas did not remain there for long. Within weeks, bad actors started a riot by accusing Paul and Silas of treachery against the emperor. The newly Christian Thessalonians hid Paul and Silas and then, after nightfall, smuggled them out of the city.
Paul traveled on to Berea and to Athens, but he was worried about the new Christians he had left behind in Thessalonica, who were now undergoing persecution. So, he sent Timothy back to the city to check on them. When Timothy returned, weeks or even months later, he brought good news: the new church was doing well, despite suffering persecution, though they were clearly in need of further instruction.
So, Paul set down to write them a letter, which we know as 1 Thessalonians. In the opening paragraph of the letter, as was customary at the time, Paul explains why he is so thankful for the Thessalonians and writes that he is always mentioning them in prayer. Does he mean that he simply ticked off their names as he prayed: “God, please help: Jason, Cletus, Sophia, Sebastian, Damon, Eirene,” and so on?
No. The word translated “mention” in the NIV is the ordinary Greek term for a memory or a remembrance. A literal translation of this verse could be, “We always thank God for all of you, making a memory of you in our prayers.”
When we talk about making memories, we’re thinking about a vacation or some special event that we and our kids and grandkids will look back on with fondness. But when Paul talks about making a memory, he is talking about making a memory come to the surface of his mind. He recalls Jason to his mind, remembers him – his nature, his friendship, his strengths, and weaknesses – and he asks God to accomplish his will for Jason. With Jason before his mind, he waits to see if God’s Spirit will prompt him to pray in some specific way.
This kind of praying is new to many of us, but it can be very rewarding. Why not give it a try? Bring the person you are praying for to mind, not just their name, but their nature. Remember what they look like, how they act, what they desire. And then, with that picture of them in mind, wait on the Lord to guide you in your prayers for them. This is one way to obey the Apostle’s instruction to “…pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
Ask God for the help of his Spirit as you pray. Then, if thoughts come to mind about how to pray for the person for whom you are “making a memory,” lift them to God. Don’t assume that your prayers are automatically aligned with God’s will; prayer alignment, which is achieved in cooperation with God’s Spirit often (and I think, usually) takes time. But expect God’s Spirit to guide you, and keep guiding you, into alignment with God’s will as you pray for your friends, family, and church.
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