“I think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who can raise the dead. And he did deliver us from mortal danger. And we are confident that he will continue to deliver us. He will rescue us because you are helping by praying for us. As a result, many will give thanks to God because so many people’s prayers for our safety have been answered.”
2 Corinthians 1:8-11 (NLT)
What if we could interview the Apostle Paul? His single-minded, machine-like focus made him the all-time greatest missionary for Christ. How might he respond to our questions?
We want to know his secrets. How did he deal with the daily tedium of apostolic responsibility? What about the challenges? What about the temptations? What about the discouragement? So many questions looking for solid answers! Perhaps, Paul’s self-discipline was iron strong. Maybe he had a concentrated focus that shut out everything but doing the will of God.
After his Damascus Road experience, when he started preaching Christ, opponents said they would kill him or die trying. Thanks be unto God they failed, and he continuously preached Jesus to unsaved people, making him a legend in church history.
So, if we could sit for a few hours with this first century elder saint, what might his response be? He would probably agree that it did take self-discipline and concentrated focus. He would certainly say that his ministry was dependent upon and encouraged by the Holy Spirit. “But don’t discount the prayers of my friends,” he would say. Those prayers sustained him, from Corinth, from Ephesus, from Philippi, from Thessalonica, from Galatia, and from Colosse – all with the same request: “Dear God, keep Paul safe. Give him revelations and spiritual fortitude. Encourage him and make him strong.”
And in Paul’s deepest, darkest, most crushing, and overwhelming discouragement, he learned to depend upon the God who resurrects the dead because of the prayers of his friends. Learning that they were praying for him renewed his resolve. With all those prayers going up, Paul simply couldn’t stay down!
Dear Father, thank you for giving Paul to the Church. Thank you for those who pray for us. Thank you for strength and encouragement. We give you all the praise and glory. In the name of Jesus I pray. AMEN
Be encouraged today in the knowledge that others are praying for you,