Paul’s prayers for his beloved Ephesians do not focus so much on their physical or social well-being, but on the most important thing: That they know and love Christ Jesus!
John prepared the way for Jesus with his preaching and subsequent arrest and death. But then the plot flips and we find hope in the fact that Jesus prepares the way for John (and for us).
The message of Amos comes home to us as we reflect on the prosperity in our land, our good life, our comparative comfort which are no guarantee that God looks favorably on our ways of living.