I'm sure all of us can testify to the many times that God has been patient with us, how He's corrected us, encouraged us, motivated us, revealed things to us, and how, in spite of how we may have treated our relationship with Him from time to time, He remained faithful, merciful and forgiving!
We are where we are today because God never gave up on us!
Therefore we can relate to the below passages because we know that the only way we'll come to stand before God one day and say that we've "made it" is all because of Him ... not referring only to the salvation that is found in Christ alone, but the fact that God has helped, and continues to help us, along our journey and relationship with Him. Praise God for His amazing love towards us!
The Apostle Paul understood that this spiritual insight into God’s word/truth can only come from the Holy Spirit revealing it to us and that’s one of the reasons why he attributed spiritual growth to the work and mercy of God:
1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NIV)
May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.
Philippians 1:6 (NKJ)
Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ
Hebrews 13:20-21 (AMP)
Now may the God of peace [Who is the Author and the Giver of peace], Who brought again from among the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood [that sealed, ratified] the everlasting agreement (covenant, testament), Strengthen (complete, perfect) and make you what you ought to be and equip you with everything good that you may carry out His will; [while He Himself] works in you and accomplishes that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ (the Messiah); to Whom be the glory forever and ever (to the ages of the ages). Amen (so be it).
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (NKJ)
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work
Philippians 2:12-13 (AMP)
Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).
(Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.
Philippians 3:15 (NLT)
Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you.
1 Thessalonians 4:9 (NIV)
Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.
2 Thessalonians 3:4-5 (NLT)
And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you. May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ
1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 (NLT)
May God our Father and our Lord Jesus bring us to you very soon. And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen
It is on this basis that the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, could pray the prayers he did for the churches. We'll take a look at these passages next.