We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers,
Prayer may take many forms--intercession, petition, supplication. It would seem that Paul’s prayers are largely expressions of thanksgiving, and the thanksgiving is evoked by three qualities (work, labor, and patience) on the part of the Thessalonians. But it is work that springs from "faith," labor that comes from love, and patience (fortitude) whose origin is hope. This great triad is often linked together in scripture (1 Corinthians 13:13; Romans 5:2-5; Galatians 5:5-6; Colossians 1:4-5; Hebrews 6:10-12; Hebrews 10:22-24; 1 Peter 1:21-22). The use of the plural "we" may refer to those times when all three missionaries joined together in prayer as opposed to their times of individual and private prayer.