But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and ^[b]show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may ^[c]pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!

¹⁰ So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [^[d]in human strength], then am I [truly] strong (able, powerful ^[e]in divine strength).2 Corinthians12:9-10.

We are constantly bombarded with human messages on TV, music , movies etc. that we can fight our own fights and be strong in ourselves. But united to Christ we are told something altogether different.

In the reading above Paul discloses that he had been harassed by a “thorn in the flesh”.  I have had a rose thorn get stuck in my finger when picking roses and it can really hurt. I wanted that thing out of my finger! The Lord used that experience to teach Paul a critical lesson about our relationship with the Lord; “for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and ^[b]show themselves most effective in [your] weakness.” [Read more…]

 For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.

What father among you, if his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent?

 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?

 If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts [gifts ^]that are to their advantage] to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him! Luke 11:10-13

How many times have we been asked to pray about something for someone? Or maybe we or a loved one are going through a time of trial. We know that the Lord wants us to make our needs known to Him. But how many times should we pray? How long should we pray?

Clearly the Lord does not count it against us for frequent asking as we can see in the reading above.  In fact he tells us to keep on asking.

When a young relative called us to tell us he had cancer, my husband and I began to pray for him. Even when the news was bad, we did not stop asking the Lord to heal him. Why keep on? Because we don’t know what the Lord’s plans are. Remember Lazarus, Dorcas and the widow’s son. Remember all the people that Jesus healed from the time of His ministry to today.  [Read more…]