Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Thessalonians 5:24

"Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also do it." — 1 Thessalonians 5:24 (ASV)

To Paul, utterance of a prayer was not the end, but only the means to it. One who asks God for something can anticipate the fulfillment of that request because of God’s character: “The one who calls you is faithful.” He who issues an effectual call can be absolutely relied on to carry out his call , including among other things the sanctification and preservation prayed for in v.23. Faithfulness is the characteristic of God that determines that he will do exactly as Paul has prayed. In his election of the Thessalonian church (1:4; 2:12), God had already determined to do so. This, however, did not render prayer for them superfluous, as human effort and application also have their place in carrying out the purposes of God.