Paul goes on in 1 Thessalonians 3 and says this in verses 10 and 11: "Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you."
Paul is longing for an opportunity to come and minister to the people in that church. And he prays earnestly for an opportunity. He even says he prays night and day for God to clear the way for him and his ministry team to come.
Seeking Divine Opportunities for Service
As you plan and prepare for the year, are you seeking opportunities to do ministry? Of course, Paul was an evangelist. It was his grand calling in life to go around that part of the world, set up churches, and visit them from time to time to instruct and encourage them. He prayed night and day for opportunities to do this work he was called to.
Perhaps you are not called to that type of work. But you are called to some sort of work for God – in the church, and in the community. Are you praying for opportunities to help? To serve? To minister? To encourage, to contribute?
Often our prayers are filled with requests for God to help us. That's good, we should pray those prayers. But we should never neglect the prayers that ask God to send us. We should always be asking Him for another opportunity to use our gifts and talents to bless somebody.
Adding Opportunities to Your Prayer List
I wonder if it might be time for you and I to sit with our prayer lists, and add a section that says 'opportunities', and commit to always praying for another opportunity to be used by God somewhere. Now, it could be big opportunities where you are praying for a new job, or a relocation, or something like that. Or, on the other hand, it might be a daily prayer where you simply say "Lord, give me an opportunity to bless somebody with Your grace today", and you seek that opportunity in your interactions throughout the day.
Whatever it is, make it an item of prayer. And see how God opens doors for you – like He did time and time again in Paul's life.
Paul warns against rushing anyone into ministry, because real character takes time to show. Wait on God's timing today instead of racing ahead of Him.