Verse By Verse Devotional On 2 Corinthians By Pastor Jack #18

The Final Purpose of Prayer

1:11 "...you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many."

Get ready to have your view of prayer radically altered. What Paul says here is both startling and deeply convicting.
We talked about Paul’s friends helping him through their prayers. Paul goes on to explain why he is so enthusiastic about having a lot of people praying for him: "so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many."

I don’t know about you, but when I ask people to pray for me, it is for the purpose of getting God’s help with something I am facing in my life. When people pray for me and God answers, the matter is over. The goal has been accomplished (though I sometimes remember to send up a quick thank you). But this is not at all what Paul has in mind. When people prayed for him and God answered their prayers, the most important thing of all hadn’t even happened yet. For Paul the final goal was not getting the answer to his prayer, the final goal was the thanks and praise that would be raised up to God when He had answered the prayers. Paul wanted many people to pray for him not just because it increased his chances of God answering his need, but because it increased the size of the audience which would applaud when God answered.

God tells us in Eph.1:12 that we exist for "the praise of His glory." This means that our first and highest calling in this life is to praise God. This means that our giving of thanks to God after He has answered our prayers is even more important than the prayer in the first place! We think of prayer as the means and God’s answer to our prayer as the end. But really God’s answer to our prayer is also a means, and the end is our praise and thanks to Him for His goodness. Until that step is completed, the most important part has been left undone.

What does it say about us if we merely ask God for things but rarely praise Him for His answers?

But our living for the praise of God’s glory goes beyond merely praising Him ourselves. We also have a responsibility to stir up others to praise God as we have opportunity. Indeed, everything we do toward others should be done as an attempt to get them to praise God:

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matt.5:16)

One of the ways we should make effort to get other believers to praise God is by asking them to pray for us, so that when God answers, they will have occasion to give thanks for His answer. Like Paul, we should ask others to pray for us not for our own sake, but for the glory of Christ!

What does it say about us if we are quick to ask others to pray for us but slow to inform them about God’s answer to their prayers so that they can thank Him with us?

O Father, I see that my requests for prayer have been for myself and not for You. I have wanted people to pray so that I may escape from some difficulty or need. I am ashamed to say that providing an occasion where Your glory might be displayed and receive the thanks of many has never been my motivation. I see how much I live for myself and how little I live for Christ. Please help me be a man who lives for the praise of Your glory. I know this is why I am here. Now by the power of Your Spirit help me to fulfill my calling. Make my life a joyous standing ovation in honor of You, and may my example inspire many others to rise up and join in, giving praise to the ultimate Performer who deserves ultimate applause.