It is good to pray for one another like this; it is not only good, but it is very necessary. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy had two concerns in their prayers for the believers in Thessalonica.

The first is that God might count them worthy of the calling. This does not talk about their and our future in the Father’s house; that has nothing to do with being counted worthy—that is only God’s grace—but here it talks about perseverance and faith in persecutions and tribulations (2 Th. 1:4). The Lord will reward such faithfulness to Him with rest when He appears publicly from heaven, and we will appear with Him. He will establish His righteous government and will personally take up the scepter over the earth. He will then call to His side those who followed Him as faithful disciples in the time of His rejection: “you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord” (Mt. 25:21).

The second concern of these servants of God is that He “fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power.” Our God is good, and He loves to express His goodness. He is also pleased when we appreciate all the abundance of His goodness and ask Him for it. Then He will also fulfill “the work of faith with power.” It will be His power that works in us and through us. This should be our prayer for each other also, namely that we be faithful, because our God is faithful.