1 Thessalonians 4, Additional Reading Psalm 144

Monday, August 17, 2026, 12:00 AM
 

Sanctification and Love

4 Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to [a]walk and please God (just as you actually do [b]walk), that you excel still more. 2 For you know what commandments we gave you [c]by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from [d]sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to [e]possess his own [f]vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in [g]lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but [h]in sanctification. 8 So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

9 Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 10 for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, 12 so that you will [i]behave properly toward outsiders and [j]not be in any need.

Those Who Died in Christ

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep [k]in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive [l]and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a [m]shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive [n]and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Or conduct yourselves
  2. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Or conduct yourselves
  3. 1 Thessalonians 4:2 Lit through the Lord
  4. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 Or fornication
  5. 1 Thessalonians 4:4 Or acquire
  6. 1 Thessalonians 4:4 I.e. body; or wife
  7. 1 Thessalonians 4:5 Lit passion of lust
  8. 1 Thessalonians 4:7 I.e. in the state or sphere of
  9. 1 Thessalonians 4:12 Lit walk
  10. 1 Thessalonians 4:12 Lit have need of nothing
  11. 1 Thessalonians 4:14 Lit through
  12. 1 Thessalonians 4:15 Lit who
  13. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 Or cry of command
  14. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 Lit who
 
 

Prayer for Rescue and Prosperity.

A Psalm of David.

144 Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle;
2 My lovingkindness and my fortress,
My stronghold and my deliverer,
My shield and He in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues [a]my people under me.
3 O Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that You think of him?
4 Man is like a mere breath;
His days are like a passing shadow.

5 Bow Your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
Touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
6 Flash forth lightning and scatter them;
Send out Your arrows and confuse them.
7 Stretch forth Your hand from on high;
Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters,
Out of the hand of aliens
8 Whose mouths speak deceit,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

9 I will sing a new song to You, O God;
Upon a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10 Who gives salvation to kings,
Who rescues David His servant from the evil sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me out of the hand of aliens,
Whose mouth speaks deceit
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

12 Let our sons in their youth be as grown-up plants,
And our daughters as corner pillars [b]fashioned as for a palace;
13 Let our garners be full, furnishing every kind of produce,
And our flocks bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our [c]fields;
14 Let our cattle [d]bear
Without [e]mishap and without [f]loss,
Let there be no outcry in our streets!
15 How blessed are the people who are so situated;
How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 144:2 Another reading is peoples
  2. Psalm 144:12 Lit cut after the pattern of
  3. Psalm 144:13 Lit outside
  4. Psalm 144:14 Lit be laden
  5. Psalm 144:14 Lit bursting forth
  6. Psalm 144:14 Lit going out
 

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