GROWING THROUGH PRAYER (A 'LOVING GOD GREATLY' BIBLE STUDY)
February 22,
2016
Week 7 ~ Day 1
Read: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
SOAP: 2 Corinthians 12:8-9
S:
“Concerning this
thing, I begged Adonai three times that it might depart from me. He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient
for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in
my weaknesses, that the power of Messiah may rest on me.”
O&A:
Today is a living testimony to
not being able to do things in my own strength.
I’ve been trying so hard to 'gird
up' today and get some things (cleaning and organizing, finishing up my Bible
study) done, but finding myself unable in my own strength. Abba loves when we
come to Him and tell Him how we are incapable, so that He may be our strength
and our ability, and He will be glorified in the outcome, and even in the
midst.
One of the things that really
stood out to me is that he asked 3 times... same number of times Yeshua asked
Abba if 'this cup' could pass from him.
Strength: ability, power, mighty work
Perfected: duty of testifying; in
the affliction of calamities – everything has been accomplished which by the
appointment of the Father as revealed in the Scriptures; must do and bear –
made perfect
Weakness: the mental states in
which this weakness manifests itself – want of strength: weakness, infirmity
Gladly: with pleasure, sweetly
Will rather: choose; more
willingly, more readily
Glory: glory in YHVH; the
knowledge of YHVH, intimacy with him, his favors, etc.
Take pleasure in: weaknesses,
injuries, necessities, persecutions, distresses à for Messiah’s sake
<<When we empty our cup of
our weaknesses, Abba is filling it up with His strength >>
Abba has to bring us to a place
of weakness so He can be our strength… His strength on display.
Yes, this is the thought process
I go through as I listen to Abba and I meditate on and in His word. My first reaction is that it’s madness! Choose to glory in my weakness?? In my pain??
My pain HURTS!! I’m pretty sure
your pains hurt, too, because they’re, well, pain. His ability (His power) is accomplished in
the ‘want of strength’ that we exhibit.
But to choose WITH PLEASURE… Oy vey.
This is definitely a testimony to our Heavenly Father, because we
(unless it’s just me) tend to get caught up in what we’re going through,
whether it’s pain, injury, depression, humiliation, false witness (for
Messiah’s sake), etc. No matter what the
circumstance, we should ‘gladly rather glory in YHVH’.
Our answer is not always “yes, My
child”. Sometimes we are given a definite
“No”, and sometimes we must wait. So do
we drop down in a tantrum? Pout with our
arms crossed over our chest? (That’s my
signature move there, btw.) Do we hold
our breath and wait for Abba to give in?
Maybe we try to manipulate Him, or coerce Him, or convince Him? He wants us instead to glory in Him; He wants
us to recognize that His grace is sufficient in all circumstances. He wants the intimacy of our relationship
with Him to cover us in Messiah, to fill us with Messiah, so that we won’t boast
of what we were able to do of our own strength, but boast of/glory in the
strength, might, and magnificence of YHVH.
“The
answer to the prayer was not compliance with its petition, but the gift of
strength to bear and to endure.” (Ellicott’s commentary)
P:
Oh, my Abba. You are always on time, and Your word is like
an arrow - straight to the target. You
knew last night when I began to read the verses for today that I was going to have
to call on You yet again. You began to
sustain me before I knew what need I had of You for this day. I am weak, Abba. My mind is more susceptible to defeat when I
am in pain, and my spirit feels cast-down the more my body aches, but oh my
Abba! You sustain me! You lift me up - mind, body and spirit, and I
thank You. You are mighty and worthy of
all praise! I pray that all who feel
cast-down in spirit, all who hear voices of defeat, all who carry heavy burdens
that are not their own, would cry out to You, Abba, in Yeshua’s name, they
would be able to rest in You, and find shalom/peace in Your word. Abba, I choose this day to glory in You over
my pain, and glory in You over my circumstances of weakness, so that You would
be lifted up, and the power of Messiah would be made manifest for all who see.
In Yeshua’s name, Amein.
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