NOVEMBER’S THEME — “SEEING THANKSGIVING FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE”
BEATS FROM YOUR PASTOR’S HEART
WHEN YOU FINALLY ADMIT YOU CANNOT DO IT
The unexpected blessing of reaching the end of yourself
2 CORINTHIANS 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
THE CONFESSION WE ARE AFRAID TO MAKE
Maybe you’ve been going over the same problem every night. You rehearse what you’ll say to someone you love. You wonder whether one more call will make a difference. You wake up tired, and before your feet touch the floor, you’re already trying to solve it again. There comes a moment when the most honest prayer you can pray is, “Lord, I cannot do this.” Tell Him what you mean. “I can’t make my daughter listen. I can’t make this pain go away. I can’t see how I’ll get through everything on my calendar today.” Naming the limit helps you see what you need to bring to Christ. Paul heard the Lord’s promise of sufficient grace while he still had the very weakness he had prayed about.
NAME WHAT ONLY GOD CAN DO
When you love someone, it’s easy to feel responsible for how they respond. You may replay a conversation because you’re convinced there was a sentence that would have changed everything. Think of Lydia in Acts 16:14. Paul spoke, Lydia listened, and the Lord opened her heart. Paul had a real part in that encounter. He could sit down beside her, speak clearly, and give her time to hear. Only the Lord could open her heart to the truth she heard. Before you call the person you’ve been worried about, take a moment to pray for them by name. “Lord, open their heart to Your truth. Help me listen without interrupting. If there’s something I need to say, help me say it with love.” Afterward, ask yourself one question. Was I faithful with the opportunity I had? If you spoke harshly, make it right. If you listened and shared what you could, thank God for the opportunity and keep praying for the person. A brief conversation can give someone something to think about long after you’ve gone home.
ASK FOR THE GRACE YOU NEED WHILE THE BURDEN REMAINS
Paul asked the Lord three times to remove his thorn. The Lord answered by promising sufficient grace. Paul still had to wake up and live with the weakness he had asked God to take away. He could do so depending on Christ’s strength. What would sufficient grace look like for you before lunchtime? If you’re caring for someone and running on very little sleep, it might look like accepting a friend’s offer to sit with them while you rest. If you’re waiting for an answer, it might be the steadiness to give your attention to the person who needs you today. If a difficult conversation is ahead, it might be enough patience to hear a painful sentence all the way through before you answer. Pray for relief. And while you wait, pray for the particular grace you need for the next thing in front of you. You can ask, “Lord, help me make this call,” or, “Give me the humility to tell someone I need help.” Those are prayers of dependence on Christ.
SURRENDER THE OUTCOME AND TAKE THE NEXT FAITHFUL STEP
Sometimes we spend so much energy imagining how things might turn out that we neglect a responsibility we can fulfill today. You may be unable to repair a strained relationship by yourself, but you can apologize for the way you spoke. You can say, “I was wrong to speak to you that way. Will you forgive me?” Then give the person time to respond. Surrender may look like leaving room for the other person to answer in their own time. You’ve owned what you did. When you feel the urge to send another message just to find out where you stand, take that urge to the Lord. Ask Him to work in both hearts and to show you when another conversation would be an act of love. There may be a single faithful step you already know to take. Make the appointment. Ask for help. Keep the promise you made. Before you act, pray, “Lord, I will do what I know to do today. I trust You with what follows.”
Imagine planting a row of beans with a child. The next morning, she runs outside expecting to see something green. All she sees is dirt. She reaches down to dig up a seed and check on it. “Let’s leave it in the ground,” you tell her. “You can water it today.” A few days later, she calls you outside. There’s a little green shoot where she planted the first seed. All those mornings when the row looked empty, something was happening beneath the soil. Paul describes the work of ministry in a similar way in 1 Corinthians 3:6. He planted, Apollos watered, and God gave the increase. Think of someone you’ve spoken to about Jesus. You may be tempted to bring up the subject again just to see whether your words made any difference. Before you ask for an answer, ask God to work in their heart. Then do what love calls for today. Call to see how they’re doing. Listen to what they want to tell you. If they bring up the conversation, give them time to finish. “Lord, You know what’s happening in their heart. Help me care for them patiently and trust You to do what only You can do.”
YOU CAN TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN CHRIST’S STRENGTH
You may still face the same circumstances when you finish reading this. But you can face the next hour with an honest prayer. “Lord, You know where my strength gives out. I need Your help here.” Think of the responsibility immediately in front of you. Ask Christ for the grace to do it. When your mind runs ahead to how everything might turn out, bring that part to Him again. His promise is for the weakness you’re living with today. “My grace is sufficient for thee.”
WARFARE PRAYER
Father, in Jesus’ name, I reject the lie that everything depends on my ability to hold it together. Forgive me for treating worry as though it could accomplish what belongs to You. When fear tells me to press harder, give me discernment to know when to speak, when to listen, and when to wait. Guard my mind against discouragement and my mouth against harshness. Open the heart of the person I’m praying for, and make my own heart willing to obey You. Give me the particular grace I need for my next step, and let Christ’s strength be seen in the way I take it. Amen.
DAILY CHALLENGE
Take five minutes and write three lines.
- What I’m trying to control · “I want my son to respond the way I hope he will.”
- What I can faithfully do today · “I can call him, ask how he’s doing, and give him time to answer.”
- What I’m asking God to do · “Lord, open his heart to Your truth, and give me patience and love when we talk.”
Pray over the third line before you act on the second. At the end of the day, thank Christ for one specific way He helped you take that step.
THURSDAY’S PRAYER NEEDS
Sarah Parker
Darlene Thaxton – Serious Infection
Susan Bankston
Carol Amgel
Britany Smith
Carol Rhodes & Family
Darlene Kelley
Ginny Ford
Heather May
John Palmer
Kim’s McClain’s Mother & Sister
Pat Chupp
Rob Davis
Rose Fuller-Chronic Back Pain