Direct (2720)(kateuthuno from kata = down, intensifies meaning + euthunô = straighten from euthus = straight) means to make straight, to straighten fully, to guide or lead directly straight towards or upon something, to guide one's way or journey to a place. The idea is that of conducting one straight to a place, and not by a round-about course. Note that this verb is singular whereas the subject is plural (God...Jesus our Lord) which substantiates the deity of Christ and the unity of the Godhead. Vine thus translates the verse as... But God Himself even our Father and our Lord Jesus, direct our way unto you (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson or Logos) Kateuthuno gives a picture of opening up the way by removal of obstacles so that the desired goal may be reached. Paul recognizes the uselessness of personal efforts toward a revisit unless God "clears the way" and removes the obstacles that Satan had previously placed in his path of return which made that path impassable. Paul had learned the secret (Php 4:13-note) that it is God Who "directs our way" and Who Alone is powerful enough to remove all hindrances (1Th 2:18-note) that Satan places in our path. The missionaries are making their request, but they recognize that the Sovereign God is the supreme Disposer of events. They acknowledge their dependence upon Him and know that it is His prerogative to determine the time and manner in which their prayer will be answered. Here are the only other NT uses of kateuthuno and in each place it has the sense of divine providence controlling human action. Luke 1:79 To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace." 2 Thessalonians 3:5 And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ. There are 50 uses of kateuthuno in the Septuagint (LXX) (Jdg. 12:6; 1 Sam. 6:12; 2 Sam. 19:17; 1 Ki. 11:43; 1 Chr. 29:18; 2 Chr. 12:14; 17:5; 19:3; 20:33; 30:19; 32:30; Est. 3:13; 8:12; Ps. 5:8; 7:9; 37:23; 40:2; 59:4; 78:8; 90:17; 101:7; 102:28; 119:5, 133; 140:11; 141:2; Prov. 1:3; 4:26; 9:15; 13:13; 15:8, 21; 21:2; 23:19; 29:27; Jer. 15:11; 21:12; Ezek. 17:9f, 15; 18:25; Dan. 3:30; 6:28; 8:24f; 11:27, 36; Hos. 4:10; Zech. 11:16; Mal. 2:6) Way (3598)(hodos) means any place along which one travels and so a way, a road, a highway. Hodos is a way for traveling or moving from one place to another. Hodos - 101x in 99v - Matt 2:12; 3:3; 4:15; 5:25; 7:13f; 8:28; 10:5, 10; 11:10; 13:4, 19; 15:32; 20:17, 30; 21:8, 19, 32; 22:9f, 16; Mark 1:2f; 2:23; 4:4, 15; 6:8; 8:3, 27; 9:33f; 10:17, 32, 46, 52; 11:8; 12:14; Luke 1:76, 79; 2:44; 3:4f; 7:27; 8:5, 12; 9:3, 57; 10:4, 31; 11:6; 12:58; 14:23; 18:35; 19:36; 20:21; 24:32, 35; John 1:23; 14:4ff; Acts 1:12; 2:28; 8:26, 36, 39; 9:2, 17, 27; 13:10; 14:16; 16:17; 18:25f; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22; 25:3; 26:13; Rom 3:16f; 11:33; 1 Cor 4:17; 12:31; 1 Thess 3:11; Heb 3:10; 9:8; 10:20; Jas 1:8; 2:25; 5:20; 2 Pet 2:2, 15, 21; Jude 1:11; Rev 15:3; 16:12. NAS = highways(2), journey(7), path(1), paths(1), road(24), roads(1), streets(1), way(54), ways(9). 1Thessalonians 3:12 and may the Lord cause * you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; (NASB: Lockman) Greek: humas de o kurios pleonasai (3SAAO) kai perisseusai (3SAAO) te agape eis allelous kai eis pantas, kathaper kai hemeis eis humas Amplified: And may the Lord make you to increase and excel and overflow in love for one another and for all people, just as we also do for you, (Amplified Bible - Lockman) NLT: And may the Lord make your love grow and overflow to each other and to everyone else, just as our love overflows toward you. (NLT - Tyndale House) Phillips: May the Lord give you the same increasing and overflowing love for each other and towards all men as we have towards you. (Phillips: Touchstone) Wuest: the Lord cause you to increase and superabound in your divine and self-sacrificial love for one another and toward all, even as also we have this divine and self-sacrificial love for you, (Eerdmans) Young's Literal: and you the Lord cause to increase and to abound in the love to one another, and to all, even as we also to you, AND MAY THE LORD CAUSE YOU TO INCREASE AND ABOUND IN LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER, AND FOR ALL MEN, JUST AS WE ALSO DO FOR YOU: humas de o kurios pleonasai (3SAAO) kai perisseusai (3SAAO) te agape eis allelous kai eis pantas, kathaper kai hemeis eis humas: (1Th 4:10; Psalms 115:4; Luke 17:5; 2Corinthians 9:10; James 1:17; 2Peter 3:18) (1Th 4:9,10; Philippians 1:9; 2Thessalonians 1:3) (5:15; Matthew 7:12; 22:39; Romans 13:8; 1Corinthians 13:1-13; Galatians 5:6,13,14,22; 2Peter 1:7; 1John 3:11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19; 4:7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) Increase and abound - the idea is that their love be enlarged and made abundant, taken together giving the force of "increase to overflowing"! Clearly this was not a loveless church (eg they had a labor of love - 1Th 1:3-note), but they were not yet glorified (!) and therefore still had room to grow in love, the essential mark of the Christian faith as our Lord declared... A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love (agape) for one another. (John 13:34, 35). And so it is not surprising that Paul prayed for increasing love for other churches such as the one at Philippi... And this I pray, that your love may abound (perisseuo - superabound, overflow; present tense = as a continual supernatural outflow of your Spirit controlled and empowered life) still more and more (and here is the qualifier of such an overflowing love - it is not mindless sentimentality) in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ (Php 1:9, 10-note) In Paul's second letter we see his thanksgiving to God for having answered this prayer... We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater (2Thes 1:3) Increase and abound in love - This is a prayer (in the aorist, optative) as discussed more fully below. Clearly the apostle Paul knew we depend on the Holy Spirit for the fruit of holiness such as love, and he expressed this dependence through prayer. Remember that prayer is not limited by time or place. Your prayers for your fellow believers (and your loved ones) will do more good than you realize, so stay devoted to prayer with an attitude of thanksgiving (Col 4:2-note)