New Monmouth Musings: Thanksgiving Thoughts on Praying for Others

Dear Friends,

This morning with Thanksgiving in mind, I was pondering the topic of thankfulness. I turned to 2 Corinthians 1, verses 8-11 in particular where Paul describes his sufferings, which he says were so “utterly unbearable that he felt crushed to the point of despairing of life.”

And what caught my attention was in verse 11, where he states “You (Corinthians) also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.”

I pondered that verse for several minutes, and not being exactly sure what to make of it, I went to one of my commentaries for help. It expressed the fact that Paul is thanking the Corinthians for their prayers that helped him and his friends through their difficult time of suffering. The answers to their prayers, he says provided an opportunity for the many who prayed to give thanks for the answers to their prayers. 

So whenever we face difficulties, the more open and honest we should be about sharing our prayer concerns with others, for the more people we ask to pray for us, the more people will enjoy the opportunity to rejoice and give thanks when their prayers are answered.

The Yiddish Proverb reminds us that “prayers go up, and blessings come down.”  So, let’s keep praying so that God keeps blessing.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Pastor Tom