Prayer Requests

Happy New Year, friends.

This is a blog about asking for prayer, and I don't intend to cover all of what I believe prayer to be in this post, for truly prayer is about more than just asking for things. But this morning I was studying 2 Corinthians 1:8-11, it was truly an amazing time with the Lord and I feel compelled to share. Here's the text (ESV):

"For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 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. 10 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. 11 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."

The focus of this post is on verse 11, but the context is necessary for some of the things I learned- and also because context is very important when studying Scripture!

One of the questions that I had in reading this first verse was "why did Paul want to be sure that his 'brothers' and sisters in the Lord weren't 'ignorant' of his sufferings?" A few possibilities came to mind: 1) they wanted prayer during this time of suffering, 2) that, as Philippians 1 says (verses 12-14), the brothers would be "much more bold to speak the word without fear.", 3) and/or that the Corinthian church would not be surprised when they suffered in similar ways. All of these are quite possibly true, but it's even more beautiful to see Paul's perspective on the situation- he recognizes that this suffering has pushed them beyond their strength and made them fully dependent on the Lord (not themselves). He's boasting in their weakness, for God's strength is being made manifest in this time of suffering!

Verse 11 was the kicker for me, though. "You must also help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many."

I discovered in my praying through this passage that for the majority of my life my thoughts on asking for prayer have been arrogant and self-centered. I do ask for prayer often, but usually solely for the benefit of myself- that I can receive the blessing of answered prayer. And if I think that my prayers alone can 'handle' the situation, I don't share it (sometime because I think 'why bother others with this small request?'). Father, forgive me.

The Lord blew open my view of asking for prayer through this verse. You see, Paul here is asking for prayer in a selfless, humble way. He is inviting the Corinthian church to join with him in the joy of seeing God answer prayer and getting a grander view of our Heavenly Father. Paul first acknowledges that there is power in prayer: "You must help us by prayer..." One of the reasons that the majority of Christians don't pray nearly as much as we should is because we don't understand the power of prayer and praying for each other. Here are a few Biblical examples of people requesting prayer:

Esther: in chapter 4, before she risks her life to go before the king and plead on her people's behalf, she calls all of the "Jews to... hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day." She realizes that she has been pushed "beyond her strength" and needs the power of God to see her through this.

Daniel: one of my favorite men of the Bible, he asks his three buddies (before the wise men of the kingdom of Babylon are to be killed because they can't discern and interpret the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar) to "seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery..." (2:18). Verse 19 says "Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven." Prayer works.

Jesus: on the Mount of Olives, He calls his disciples to "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." (Luke 22:40, 46) He understands the gravity of the situation (He is about to be crucified) and knows that this is beyond their strength.

So prayer, especially requesting prayer from others, isn't a foreign notion in the Scriptures. But even more spectacular about Paul's request of the Corinthian church is the proposed result of their prayers: "so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many." He is calling the Corinthian church to pray for them so that they, too, can experience the joy and thanksgiving that comes with answered prayer! Have you ever considered that when sharing a prayer request?

We should be requesting prayer not just so that it may be answered, but more importantly so that others can share in the joy of seeing it answered and so that all of us may have a higher view of God due to the answered prayer. Whenever God answers one of my prayers in wondrous fashion, I am humbled by His Greatness and so excited to be reminded that He is real! How selfish of me to keep this joy and thanksgiving to myself when I can share it with others! Paul truly desires the best for the Corinthian church, and this 'best' involves them rejoicing with him when he is delivered. What selflessness...

As a guy, I try to be tough sometimes. I know many of us (guys and gals alike) sometimes see asking for prayer as a sign of weakness, but that's the beauty of it: it is a sign of weakness! We are revealing to our brothers and sisters that we need our Father. Paul writes later in 2 Corinthians that God's strength is "made perfect in weakness" and therefore boasts all the more in his weaknesses (2 Cor. 12:9-10). We need this same attitude- that God's strength may be made perfect in our weakness and He may be exalted.

I don't encourage you all to dump every single request onto the person next to you before prayer, but sharing what God has been teaching you and area(s) in which you need to grow is a healthy thing for us to get into the practice of doing. It will humble us, strengthen our community and also provide the opportunity for God to magnify Himself through us. But don't only share requests with your brothers and sisters- pray for one another (James 5:16)! Do remember to pray in faith, though, for the man who doubts is "like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord..." (James 1:6-7).

We have been created to exalt the Lord and when we share prayer requests believing and expecting God to answer them, God is exalted when He responds and our joy is magnified. Let's do it for His glory.

By His amazing grace...

Luke