Please don't misunderstand the title. I'm not asking God for more food today. I want to get at the meaning of 2 Corinthians 1:11.
 
Paul, after sharing his hope of being delivered by God from future afflictions, tells the Corinthians, "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."
 
My conception of why it is good to pray for others was transformed after I meditated on this verse.

Paul wants to be prayed for so that many others will be able to thank God for the way God blesses him. He wants as many people as possible to have the joy of feeling thankful because their prayers for Paul and Timothy will be answered.
 
What can we learn from this line of thinking?
 
God has ordained prayer to be a primary means for us to receive his blessings, because prayer develops expectations and eagerness in us—and affections for those we pray for—that only increase our gratitude when he answers them. Additionally, 2 Corinthians 4:15 shows us that the thanksgiving that results from grace is "to the glory of God." Therefore, because God delights in the glory he gets from grateful hearts, he delights to answer the prayers of his saints.
 
I can think of at least two implications of this.
 
1. Extravagant requests honor God. Do you recall the line from Ephesians 3:20—"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think"? God is able to exceed every dream for good that we could ever dream in the lives of our loved ones, in the midst of our trials, and despite our sins. And not only is he able, he delights to do it. Wouldn’t it honor God, therefore, for us to pray as extravagantly for his Kingdom purposes as we can?
 
2. Praying for others is good for you (and vice versa!). If praying for others and being prayed for by them strengthens our mutual love, increases our awareness of God's ever-abundant grace towards us, and results in more gratitude, then we should be all the more eager to share and take prayer requests.
 
May the Lord be pleased over this Thanksgiving to increase our prayers, our gratitude, and our joy for his name's sake.