First of Paul's Prayers in his second letter to the church at Corinth

Probably written from Macedonia (see chapter 2), this letter contains many prayers of varying lengths. Note that it is written not only to the church in Corinth, but also to all the saints in Achaia. Clearly this is a follow-up to a previous letter, as it contains clarifying statements at various points.

Here is Paul's first prayer in the letter: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you  share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many" (2 Corinthians 1:3-11; ESV).

Here are my observations on his prayer: The first two verses here are so encouraging. We then get to the contingency or application. The mercy and the comfort we yearn for depend on the reason we need mercy and comfort. Here Paul makes it clear that such suffering, such affliction, is connected to our sharing in Christ's sufferings, not just any old suffering we might be going through at any given time. If that doesn't make you think, as it does me, I don't know what will. We want, need, mercy and comfort--and God is the Source of both, on His terms, as is right. And Paul is open with them as to what he experienced and why: "But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead." If we are suffering for Christ's sake, we must also not rely on ourselves--or each other--but on God who raises the dead. So only those who are in Christ can count on access to this mercy and comfort, as well as sharing in His sufferings. That's my read of this prayer at this time.