2 Corinthians 11:16–12:10 ESV

16 I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool. 18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. 19 For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! 20 For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. 21 To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands. 1 I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— 6 though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The Secret to Paul’s Strength

Perhaps it’s because we really don’t understand it!

Remember the OT story of Sampson? How they were trying to figure out the secret to His strength:

- never would’ve guessed it was his hair.

- Bind me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried then I will become weak like any other man.... but he snapped the bowstrings like a thread of flax snaps when it touches the fire.

- New ropes that have not been used.... but he snapped the ropes off his arms like a thread

- If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web and fasten it with the pin = weak like any other man.... but he awoke from his sleep and pulled away the pin and the loom and the web

- How can you say you love me when your heart is not with me, she pressed him day after day until his soul was vexed to death.... and he told her all his heart a razor had never touched his head for he was a Nazarite to God from his mother’s womb, if his head is shaved his strength would leave him and he would be weak like any other man.

They wanted to know the secret to his strength.... would’ve never guessed his hair

- never would’ve guessed it was his hair.

In looking at Paul’s life, trying to figure out the secret to his strength - we might never guess that it was prayer

We think its about getting what we want

The most personal of Paul’s letter - where you really hear his heart

We come to understand it wasn’t his appearance, his personality, his charisma, his speaking ability.....

How was he able to endure all that he did?

What was the secret of his strength that made him so successful?

It was Prayer!

The Struggle is Real!

We Don’t Pray

We Don’t Know How to Pray

God Says No!

2 Corinthians 12:

2 Corinthians 12:8–9 ESV

8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Prayer - What You Need to Know

Prayer is about asking God for two things:

1. To Know His Will

1 John 5:14 ESV

14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

2. The Strength to carry out his will

When our prayers feel unanswered (the error in our prayer)

Why do so many of us feel like our prayers are unanswered?

What are we missing?

1. We ask God for #2 without #1

Asking God for His strength to carry out our will

1 John 5:14 ESV

14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

James 4:1–3 ESV

1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

James 4:1–3 ESV

1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

1 John 5:14 ESV

14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

2. We ask God for #1 without #2

We may feel confident that we know God’s will but wonder why nothing is happening!

Romans 10:13–14 ESV

13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

Philippians 2:12–13 ESV

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Sometimes our prayers prove to be insincere because, even though we are praying according to His will, we are not praying with the kind of sincerity that is willing to say, “God give me strength to walk out the answer to this prayer”.

For example: We know its God’s will that we walk in unity, forgiveness, and love and we pray for these things but not always with the kind of sincerity where we are saying, “God give me everything I need to walk out the answer to this prayer in my own life.”

God tests the sincerity of our prayers by inviting us to participate with Him in the answer

The answer relies on Him, He is the source… but it gets worked out in us!

God tests the sincerity of our prayers by inviting us to participate with Him in the answer

In this way He relies on us!

Really Important Principle: Prayer and Participation Go Together To Make Our Prayers Effective!

Praying for my wife at morning worship

Don’t pray for things you are not willing to participate in the answer to:

Don’t pray God take away the bitterness - Pray God give me strength to forgive!

Don’t pray God bless my wife - pray for strength to overcome your own selfishness and lay down you life - she’ll be blessed!

Don’t pray for God to take away your lust - pray for wisdom for when to fight and when to flee - and if you fight pray for strength and victory!

Prayer is to faith what breath is to life

That first breath

To believe is to be born again - that new life begins with a prayer (like a breath)

That life of faith is sustained by the breathing of prayer - this is where our strength comes from.