NOVEMBER 30, 2012
Our
Prayer; God’s Will
Read: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
I
pleaded with the Lord three times that [a thorn in the flesh] might
depart from
me. —2 Corinthians 12:8
The
handwritten prayer request was heartbreaking in its seeming
impossibility:
“Please pray—I have multiple sclerosis, weak muscles,
trouble swallowing,
increased pain, diminishing sight.” The woman’s
body was breaking down, and I
could sense despair in her plea for
intercession.
But
then came the hope—the strength that trumps the physical
damage and
degradation: “I know our blessed Savior is in full
control. His will is of
utmost importance to me.”
This
person may have needed my prayers, but I needed something
she had: unabated
confidence in God. She seemed to present a
perfect portrait of the truth God
taught Paul when he asked for relief
from his difficulty—what he called his
“thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7).
His quest for relief turned out to be not
just a seeming impossibility; his
request was turned down flat by his heavenly
Father. Paul’s continual
struggle, which was clearly God’s will, was a valuable
lesson: Through
his weakness, God’s grace could be displayed and God’s strength
was
“made perfect” (v.9).
As
we pour out our hearts to God, let’s be even more concerned with
seeking His
will than we are with receiving the answer we want. That’s
where the grace and
the strength come from.
Dear heavenly Father, I bring to You my petitions,
but I give to You my heart. While I plead for You to
answer my prayers, I also submit to Your will so that
my heart may be strengthened and Your work be done.
We pray not to obtain our will in heaven,
but to effect God’s will on earth.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
