A Pastor’s Prayer

(2 Corinthians 13:5-10)  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?  6  But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.  7  Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates.  8  For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.  9  For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection.  10  Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.  

              Re-read 2 Corinthians 13:5-10 above. These were farewell verse from Paul to the Church at Corinth.  This is not my farewell, but as we read these verses, I know that Paul was telling these people “my heart.”  I may not have prayed those exact words; however, God knows my heart and these words convey my thoughts.  

              If I could for a moment think about Job and, “how he prayed” for his children:

(Job 1:5)  And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

Don’t we all pray for our children for the same reason that Job stated? Consequently, our text from Paul is not only a “Pastor’s Prayer,” I believe it is also a “Parents Prayer.”

              Paul is talking to each of us, that we should avoid the sins of the world, and seek after righteousness.  Our problem is that we as individuals seek for others; our children and our grandchildren, yet, we try our best to leave “me” out of the equation.  

              When, if we really look at our heart, do we stand within the boundaries of righteousness or is our place looking and partaking of sin?  The problem we have is we know where we stand.  We pray for others to move and get right, but we stand fast regardless of our own knowledge.  

              Not only was Paul speaking for us, he is speaking to us.  Your Pastor (Paul) is praying for you to move into a closer relationship with Jesus, and pray while you move for your Pastor to have the strength and power and the wisdom to lead you.  Pray he will have a closer walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.  Paul has given us direction, “Examine yourselves…”  Then just do it.

Bro John R. E Chastain