Grace Baptist Church of Arlington

Have you ever wondered, “What can pray for my pastors?”  Well, I would encourage you to pray Scripture for me and them.  The other morning I spent a little bit of time meditating on 2 Corinthians 1:12, and I thought that I would share some of my meditation and show how you can pray this verse for your pastors.  In 2 Corinthians 1:12, Paul wrote,

For our boast is this: the testimony of our conscience that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.

This verse is just one of the ways that the Apostle Paul defends his ministry in Corinth throughout the book of 2 Corinthians.  Paul has the wonderful privilege of telling the church in Corinth that his conscience is clean.  In contrast to other “ministers” in Corinth, Paul lived a life of simplicity.  Paul was holy in his life of simplicity – he did not pursue dishonest gain, but the good of the church there in Corinth, and it was evidenced by his godly sincerity.  He, again I think probably in contrast to other “ministers” in Corinth, really loved those he served in that place.  More than that, he loved because he was first loved by God.

Paul behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not because he knew it was what would gain him a greater hearing with those in Corinth, that would be behavior motivated by earthly wisdom, but rather, he behaved with simplicity and godly sincerity because of the grace of God.  While Paul could boast that he had behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity toward other churches, his conscience allowed him to boast that he had behaved supremely toward the church in Corinth.

So how can you pray this verse for me and your pastors?  Pray that I and your pastors would be able to say like Paul that their consciences are clean, that they have behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, and that they would do so by the grace of God for the good of his people.  Meanwhile, the pastors here at Grace will be praying the same for those the Lord has kindly placed under our care.

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