Meditations

Heart Guide for Lesson 13:
The Power of Believing

This is an exercise in gaining eyes to see God's 'hidden' work. Read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (Paul's thorn in the flesh).

1) Note why the thorn was given, what purposes it was serving and what Paul's response to it was.

2) Now consider areas of weakness in your own life—places where you are struggling and find yourself unable to gain the victory that you desire to achieve or expect you should be able to accomplish in your own strength. We tend to get 'tunnel vision' in the struggle and lose sight of the grace that is all around us—and thereby lose the faith ability to live in that grace.

3) Do not to try to fix that weakness right now! Jesus didn't do that for Paul. Jesus showed Paul how God's grace was working to sustain Paul by God's strengths (not Paul's). Follow His example: Look to see ways in which God might be working to cultivate spiritual growth through that experience of weakness and struggle.

4) Then pray to learn to experience by faith the sufficiency of being held and helped by God's grace in the midst of struggle—and (only then) pray for the Lord's help to overcome or remove the problem areas.

Return to The Power of Believing: Head to Heart Guides for more ways to go deeper into these truths or stay 'on course' by going to the...