Week Nineteen

May 7

What we know as 2 Corinthians is actually Paul’s fourth letter to this church. It also appears that he visited Corinth briefly two more times after founding the church and spending 18 months there. We already know that Paul deeply loved the people of Corinth. He was their spiritual father in Christ. When you read this letter you will hear a pastor guiding a people gently and specifically.

While there is MUCH to talk about with this letter, I want to draw your attention to 2 Corinthians 1:10 & 11, “. . .On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers.” It’s such a small yet weighty statement. What if this is true for pastors and people in general? Could it be that God delivers people through the tremendous pressures that life gives us, even deadly peril through accidents, disease, or horrible trauma? Could it be that God delivers us “by your prayers”?

John Wesley is quoted as having said, “God does nothing but by prayer, and everything with it.” Watchman Nee wrote, “We cannot make God do what He does not want to do, yet we can stop God from doing what He wants to do.” This all by prayer or lack-there-of from His people.

I’m not sure if you know how much pastors rely on the prayers of their congregations. Let me be direct and say, it is critical that the people of God pray for their pastors. Pastors enter into the most difficult situations in the lives of their people. It is done out of love and care for those we are in community with. Pastors also get to celebrate with the family of God as children are born, baptised, graduate, and make important decisions. We celebrate with those who celebrate and weep with those who weep. It is part of the calling and not one that is begrudged, rather it is embraced.

Likewise, Pastors have their own lives with unique yet familiar challenges. We all have a family of some sort. Like every family, no matter what we look like on Sunday, we have our challenges. Pastors experience transitional seasons like moving, death, graduations, work changes, health and financial challenges. Everything you experience, pastors can experience in their own lives too. Yet, for the pastor it can be difficult to reveal our own challenges. It can be difficult to put onto the church community what we are experiencing.

No matter what our lives look like day-to-day, pastors need your prayers to uphold them so God will continue to deliver them and many will hear and see the gospel lived out. When the church prays for their pastors, people see the gospel lived out in the entire community of believers. Praying for your pastors is a fundamental way that Jesus’ prayer in John 17:21-23 is answered; all of us in the Father and Son and they in us, perfected in unity so that the world will know that Jesus is the Lord of all.

Your prayers matter! I speak for the Crossroads pastoral staff and say thank you for helping us with your prayers so the gospel can be made known through the east valley! You are faithful in prayer and we enjoy the fruit of your prayers each day. You matter! And know that we also are praying for you! Just as Paul often said in his letters, every time we think of you, we mention you in our prayers. This is how the body of Jesus becomes the church and the world knows that Jesus is Lord.

You can write a comment below, or reach me, Melissa, at mrightmire@crnaz.com . Thank you for traveling with me on this journey through the New Testament.

Below are the readings for week 19: