Praying With Paul EP3 - Grace Is Enough

Life often brings us to moments when we pray persistently for something reasonable, only to receive an answer different from what we hoped. The apostle Paul experienced this with his unspecified 'thorn in the flesh,' for which he pleaded with God three times to remove. God's response wasn't to take away the problem but to declare, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' This wasn't a delay but a definitive answer that the thorn would remain, accompanied by grace for endurance. God's 'no' can actually be His most loving answer. When we're strong and capable, we might take credit for our accomplishments, but our weaknesses create space for God's power to be demonstrated in ways that are obviously divine rather than human. Paul embraced this truth so completely that he became 'content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.' This doesn't mean he enjoyed difficulties, but that he found peace in them because he understood their purpose. Our limitations don't disqualify us from usefulness; they qualify us for displaying God's strength. Sometimes the strength we need isn't to change our circumstances but to trust God within them, resting in grace that is completely adequate for whatever we face.