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A Prayer for Boasting in, Not Bemoaning Our Weakness

     ”My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor. 12:9-10

Heavenly Father, as I meditate on these words of Paul, I vacillate between feelings of anger and relief. For as a young follower of Jesus, I wasn’t taught to delight in weakness but rather to despise weakness, to deny weakness, to demonize weakness, to dethrone weakness. That’s why I totally understand Martin Luther’s statement that “bad theology is the worst taskmaster of all.” For I’ve suffered much under the merciless whip of several gospel distortions.

It was all about “the victorious Christian life”—overcoming and not underachieving; having a type A spiritual personality on steroids; being more than a conqueror, and never less than a hero. I didn’t think in terms of sufficient grace, I wanted replacement grace—getting rid of anything unpleasant in my life.

Thank you, Father, for rescuing me from this and other misrepresentations of life in Christ. Thank you for the godly men and women you’ve brought into my life over the years—the humble and courageous servants of Jesus who’ve helped me understand the riches of the gospel and the way of the cross. Increase their tribe, Lord, increase their tribe.

Father, I know I’m not to be defined by my weakness and brokenness, but I realize more than ever, that’s where Jesus meets me. I have zero ability to change my heart; I’m utterly dependent on you, the God who raises the dead. Fortunately, I’m out of boot straps to pull up. I very much want your power to rest on me; I very much need for your power to rest on me. Indeed, I’m desperate for all the sufficient grace you’ll give me.

As you continue to humble and gentle my heart, greatly increase my compassion towards others in their weakness and brokenness. Forgive my irritation, impatience, and avoidance of people whose need is much greater than my supply.

What a wonderful, merciful Savior you are, Lord Jesus. Only because you embraced the weakness of the cross I now boast in the weaknesses of my life. What a most profound, liberating, and hope-filled paradox. Your power is made perfect in my weakness. So very Amen I pray with gratitude, in your holy and loving name.

 

 

 

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