Anxiety for All the Churches

2 Corinthians 11:28 ESV

28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

As the apostle to the Gentiles, Paul planted and established many churches. He helped to set the churches up, worked with the pastors on how to screen potential candidates for deacons and elders, and even instructed the pastors concerning the gospel message and their own conduct.

On subsequent missionary journeys, Paul revisited the churches he had established on his previous journeys to see how they were doing. When he was not able to visit the churches, he wrote letters to the churches.

Here in one of his letters to the church at Corinth, Paul writes that he has anxiety concerning all the churches on a daily basis. Paul had such a love and concern for the churches that when he could not be there with them, he suffered anxiety for them.

In many of his letters to the churches, he conveyed to them how he prayed daily for them. His concern for the churches was so strong that he not only prayed for them regularly, he told them he was praying for them.

In his first letter to the church in Corinth he told them that he gave thanks to God for them always. Paul was thankful for the churches he established and prayed for them to grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul has set a good example for us. Do we pray for our church? Do we pray that our church will grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we pray for our pastor, our deacons, and our elders?

If not, we should be. Imagine how God would bless our churches if we were to pray for them regularly like Paul did. Prayer is powerful. God hears our prayers and answers them in accordance with His will.

If we prayed more for our churches, perhaps they would have more of an influence on our culture. And after all, isn’t that the church’s mission?

This week, begin to pray for your church.