Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 2 Corinthians 12:8

"Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me." — 2 Corinthians 12:8 (ASV)

The “thorn” proved so tormenting to Paul that on three separate occasions he begged the Lord (Jesus) to remove it. In the NT, formal or liturgical prayer was customarily offered through Christ to the Father in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:18), but on occasion an individual (Acts 7:59) or a group (Acts 1:24) invoked the Lord Jesus directly.