Dear brethren, with this last issue of the year, we beseech you with the words of the apostle Paul to the Thessalonians: “Pray for us!” Oh, the fervent, effectual prayers of the righteous man avail much. Pray for us. Pray for every faithful minister of the gospel who preaches the word of God in truth. Call on our God, draw near to him, and pour out your hearts to him. Give thanks to him and bless his name for his truth; for the faith and life that the truth works, strengthens, and preserves; and for faithful ministers to proclaim it. Because the truth is glorified in you.

Pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course. That it might not be hindered by opposition, by the fear or the favor of men, or by all the ineffectual devices Satan raises against it. Pray that the word of the Lord might run like it is—the almighty word of God, irresistible and unstoppable—like the white horse and his mighty rider galloping through history. For it is the word of the Lord. Free it is. Absolutely free. Free from all criticism. Free from all judgments of men, and free to judge all. Free to rule over all and bend all to its service—even the opposition. Being free, it will run its course according to the sovereign will of God to accomplish freely his purpose to gather his own and to harden unbelievers.

Pray that the word of the Lord be glorified. Pray that when it lays hold on men to save and to bless them, that then all the glory of the mighty and effectual working of that word may redound to the glory of the Lord. Is that not what it has done in you, so that the word having laid hold on you, you give thanks to the Lord and worship him for it? Pray that all glory for his word and for all its effectual working, calling, justifying, sanctifying, creating, renewing, and causing us to walk in all good works—for we are his workmanship—that it all may redound to the glory of the Lord, so that no man may boast.

And pray that we be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men.

How do not these unreasonable and wicked men hate the truth, oppose it, and try to stop the word from having its free course and bringing all glory to God in the salvation of his people! They raise malicious slanders against it. They try by rumor, intimidation, and threat to stop the mouths of the preachers, writers, and speakers of that truth. O Lord, deliver us!

Their opposition is simply proof that they do not have faith. Otherwise, they would receive the word of the Lord anon with joy, eat of it, drink of it, live by it, and rejoice in it, praying themselves that it might have free course and be glorified even as it is in them. But they oppose it, do these unreasonable and wicked men, and so condemn themselves as unbelievers. For all men have not faith.

Pray that the Lord may deliver his servants who speak his word from such unreasonable and wicked men, in order that the Lord’s servants may speak his word clearly and boldly for the salvation of his church and to the glory of God alone.