Perfect Power

2 Corinthians 12:7-10
“Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

God’s perfect power comes by way of your perfect weakness. Are you willing to be made weak in order to experience God’s perfect power?

Many of us are praying away the very thorn that God is possibly using in order that you might experience His perfect power. Paul constantly faced struggles. I believe the thorn in his side was possibly the massive amount of persecution he faced.  2 Corinthians 11:23-29 outlines a glimpse of what Paul faced. Paul said I have prayed for the Lord to take this thorn away. But God’s answer to His prayer wasn’t wrapped up in a change in circumstances! It was wrapped up in the revelation of His character. 

God said My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in your weakness. Paul understood by embracing this thorn it gave Him access to the power of God to rest on Him!                2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Stop praying away all of your problems. Often, God is trying to use your problems to position you properly for His power to rest on you. You have to be extremely close to God to understand that after praying three times with no answer you know God is trying to use this circumstance you are going through – even though it was sent by the Satan – to reveal His character to you. 

Often times religion tells you to pray harder in order to see breakthrough when God is telling you press into my character in order to receive my power! Once you realize you are weak that is when God’s grace steps in and says my power is made perfect in your weakness. Religion makes it all about us, but God wants a relationship with you in order that He may reveal His character which then will make it all about Him.People believe experiencing breakthrough is the goal of a Christian. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Experiencing Jesus is the goal of a Christian. Whether that Jesus is wrapped up in persecution or breakthrough. It is no control of our own. Fight to experience Jesus’ character and the world surrounding you will no longer matter. It becomes irrelevant whether you become a powerful king or a persecuted peasant. The only thing that will matter is God’s power resting on you!