Day 19: Promises of Prayer - Comfort to All

Day 19: Promises of Prayer – Comfort to All

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ⁵ For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. ⁶ If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. ⁷ And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. ⁸ We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,[a] about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, ¹¹ as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

2 Corinthians 1:3-11

Listen

What is God saying to you through the scriptures today?

Reflect

If there’s one thing that the Apostle Paul knows well in his life, it’s difficulty and suffering for the sake of Christ. Throughout scripture we see trials and trouble following Paul wherever he went to proclaim the good news of Jesus. He did not let that stop or discourage him from persevering, instead he continually shared about the joy and comfort he received from God that allowed him to carry on, which he credits to the prayers of the church that supported him.

“God will never give you more than you can handle” is often said by well-meaning Christians to offer comfort during difficulty, but it’s unfortunately not Biblical or true. God does allow us to go through trials that are more than we can handle on our own. We read here that Paul was overwhelmed beyond his ability to endure until he learned to rely on God, rather than himself, and found God to be the source of all comfort during his suffering. Trust God to be the source of all comfort in your life through his presence and power. And, like Paul, be a source of comfort to others just as you have been comforted by God.

Pray

Spend time praying individually for people you know that are going through a difficult time and need comfort.

Be a source of comfort to someone you prayed for. You might call or text them an encouraging word, send them a card or letter in the mail, drop by unannounced with their favorite drink or treat… be creative! If you’re stuck, think about something that has brought you comfort in the past.

Day 19: Promises of Prayer – Comfort to All

Previous

Next