2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Paul Asks the LORD
7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Isaiah 55:8-9
God's Thought's and Our Thoughts
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
St. Paul had a thorn in his flesh...Some theists say the thorn was a stammering in his speech, while others say it was his poor eyesight...Others say it was not an ailment, but that St. Paul wanted God's help from all the persecution and opposition, he was having throughout his missionary work...Regardless of what the thorn was, Paul had ask God three times to remove this thorn from his flesh...But God did not remove the thorn, and Paul remained with this thorn in his side...
There are different types of prayer, and many theists say there are five types of prayer...There are Prayers of Praise and Adoration, there are Prayers of Forgiveness, there are Prayers of Petition, there are Prayers of Thanksgiving, and there are Prayers of Intercession...Others say the five types are thanksgiving, petition, persevering prayer, intercession, and meditative prayer...It seems the type or form is evolved in the faith you have learned as you have grown...But regardless of the type of your prayer, prayer is man communicating to our LORD...St. Paul knew about these things of prayer...
When we pray, we are talking to God, our Father...When we may ask Him for things, they are not always answered as we want them...Paul is asking God for help with a problem...Some theists give reasons why prayers are not answered...Some say prayers are not answered because we lack fellowship, some say we are not asking it as God's will, that we have an unconfessed sin, we have a lack of faith, it is only to fulfill a dream, we show no persistence in our prayer, doubt, wrong motives, and there are others...But I think St. Paul would have known these many reasons, and still his prayer of the thorn in his flesh being removed by God goes unanswered...St. Paul knew about these things of prayer...
Our prayers are not always answered the way we see them...Jesus tells us that Paul would be His chosen instrument to carry His name to the Gentiles...Jesus heard Paul's prayers...God answered Paul's prayer, through His eyes and His will...We do not understand His will...God is so complex and Almighty, He is the One Infinite Being, with Infinite Knowledge...He understands all things...We always must pray because we need prayer, not because God does...Mother Teresa said, "Every time we need to make a decision concerning our families, we need to pray"...St. Paul teaches us to pray continuously...
God is Spirit...Our LORD does not lack of anything, and is need of nothing...St. Paul knew this and spoke of this in the Acts...The LORD spoke to Paul and told Him the His grace is sufficient for him, for My power is made perfect in weakness...Therefore, Paul would and could boast of his weaknesses, and problems because the power of his Savior was with him...That is why St. Paul accepted and learned to be content in all situations, including weaknesses, during times of insults, in hardships, in his times of persecutions, and in all his difficulties...For when St. Paul was weak in self, then he was strong in Christ, who strengthened him...