January 25, 2023
Author: Pastor Bernard Ibrahim
January 25, 2023
“For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we
experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our
strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had
received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on
ourselves, but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a
deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that
He will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many
will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the
prayers of many.”
2 Corinthians 1:8-11
This passage struck me as another one of those passages where the
apostle asks for prayer from the people he's writing to. And he often
says, “Pray for us.” Or you may remember at the end of that passage of
Ephesian 6, “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and
supplication,” talking to us about the importance of prayer when he
talks about the elements of our spiritual armor. Then he goes right into
a request, “To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making
supplication for all the saints and also for me, that words may be given
to me, and opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the
gospel.”
So he gives them the importance of prayer, and then
tells some specifically what he needs prayer for is that boldness in the
gospel.
In our passage here he relays a life and death
experience. I don't think this is just some kind of imagery, or some
kind of exaggeration. He and his colleagues that were with him felt that
they were going to die. Whatever persecution it was, they felt, “That's
the end.” But God saved them and he doesn't come out of that saying,
“Well, I guess I don't need anybody's prayers. We can just live and
depend on God, and they say we have set our hope on God and He will
deliver us again.” So his hope is yet in God, that doesn't change.
What
I find interesting is, he tells his readers they need to pray. “You
must help us by prayer.” All understood this mystery, which is really -
our prayers are part of that spiritual work, that mysterious work that
God does for His people. It is a critical component of the eternal, all
powerful God who expects us human beings (finite, very weak) to pray for
God's will. In this case, to pray for the safety or effectiveness of
the apostle Paul, the effectiveness of the ministry, and so that God
would receive the glory.
You see right there, “You also must
help us.” It's an actual help word there, it's an actual support, “Where
by prayer or supplication (or that word could be petition), so that
many will give thanks.” And it's understood, “To God on our behalf for
the blessing granted us through the prayers.” We pray, we ask for God's
help for those that we're praying for, so that we can give thanks and
glory to God when He answers our prayers.
The apostle Paul saw
the work of God, the work that God gave him, the work that God gives
each one of us; that prayer is required, prayer is essential.
I
found this is as an encouragement that the apostle Paul, whose mission
is clear from the Lord, from the time he was saved, of what he was
supposed to be doing. Here we have a wonderful example to follow.
And
very similar to our Lord Jesus Christ, though, being the Son of God,
and being God, he prayed regularly. The apostle Paul is asking for
prayers, and it encouraged me to ask for prayer for myself. We should
ask for prayer for one another daily. And we should share when the Lord
answers those prayers, so that our brothers and sisters can give thanks.
This is literally the example that God gives us here and the
apostle Paul. It is for the encouragement, comfort, and really blessing
of those Christians there. He's telling them, “Pray, pray for me, and
then you will have opportunity to give thanks, to give Glory to God when
he answers your prayers.”
It is a critical component, it's not
optional. He's talking in this case about life and death situations, or
in Ephesians, in the salvation of many and the spreading of the gospel.
So
with that in mind hopefully that gives us more energy to pray for one
another. Pray for these missionaries, churches and pastors that we hear
from, pray for our country, pray for those who we know have great needs,
and they need help. They need help from God, and the best way, and in
many cases the only way we can help is that we pray for them.
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