¹⁸ Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do.

²⁵ Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us.

⁵ The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.

Paul’s Request for Prayer

3 Finally, dear brothers and sisters,^[a] we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you.

¹⁶ Because of this, I always try to maintain a clear conscience before God and all people.

23 Gazing intently at the high council,^[a] Paul began: “Brothers, I have always lived before God with a clear conscience!”

²¹ And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from^[a] a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

¹⁶ But do this in a gentle and respectful way.^[a] Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.

¹² Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.^[a]

¹² Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.