1 Thessalonians 3:11
“Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul prays that God the Father and the Lord Jesus would clear the way for him to return to them.
What Does 1 Thessalonians 3:11 Mean?
Paul turns his longing into prayer, asking 'God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ' to 'direct our way' to Thessalonica. He had wanted to come and been hindered; now he commits the journey to God, asking the Father and the Son together to remove the obstacles and make a path.
It is worth noticing how naturally Paul prays to the Father and the Lord Jesus in one breath, addressing them together as the source of his help. The verb 'direct' carries the picture of clearing a road of obstacles so it can be traveled. Where the adversary had blocked the way, Paul asks God to open it. This is faith in action: he has done what he can, sending Timothy and writing this letter, and now he places the rest in God's hands. The reunion he longs for is not his to arrange but God's to grant, and so he asks, trusting the Father and the Son to guide his steps.