Spiritual Practices: Keyword Listing
Keyword listing is a method of observational Bible study. It doesn’t require any special skills, tools, or training. You can read more about the process of keyword listing here. You can choose any word or short phrase to study using keyword listing. For this passage, we suggest the following keyword(s) to start your study.
Starting Points
Keyword listing is a method of observational Bible study. It doesn’t require any special skills, tools, or training. You can read more about the process of keyword listing here. You can choose any word or short phrase to study using keyword listing. For this passage, we suggest the following keyword(s) to start your study.
Starting Points
- I/me - Explore what Paul says about God's grace and our weaknesses
Spiritual Practices: Breath Prayer
Overview
In this passage Paul talks about some of his own personal struggles. In verses 7 and 8 he talks about challenges he faced and how three times he pleaded with God to take away his struggle, but God did not. Instead, God replied that his grace was sufficient for Paul and that his power is made perfect in our weaknesses. We tend to like the first part of this response; we like the idea of God's grace being sufficient. We are not always so fond of the second part. We don't like to admit our weaknesses. We want to be strong, capable, and sufficient in ourselves. Unfortunately, we are not strong enough, capable enough, or sufficient enough to deal with everything that life sends us on our own. When we realize that, we usually ask for God to take away the things we cannot handle. Sometimes we ask for God to make us strong enough to handle those things. God doesn't tend to do either, however. Instead, he asks us on lean on him in our weaknesses. That is what he is saying to Paul.
"Lean on my grace instead of your own efforts. My grace can carry your when your strength is not enough. In those areas where you are weak, in those areas where you continue to struggle, rather than hiding them from me, come to me and lean on my. My strength will carry you when you cannot carry yourself. My grace is enough."
That is what this breath prayer is about.
Prayer
Almighty God, be strong in my weakness
Overview
In this passage Paul talks about some of his own personal struggles. In verses 7 and 8 he talks about challenges he faced and how three times he pleaded with God to take away his struggle, but God did not. Instead, God replied that his grace was sufficient for Paul and that his power is made perfect in our weaknesses. We tend to like the first part of this response; we like the idea of God's grace being sufficient. We are not always so fond of the second part. We don't like to admit our weaknesses. We want to be strong, capable, and sufficient in ourselves. Unfortunately, we are not strong enough, capable enough, or sufficient enough to deal with everything that life sends us on our own. When we realize that, we usually ask for God to take away the things we cannot handle. Sometimes we ask for God to make us strong enough to handle those things. God doesn't tend to do either, however. Instead, he asks us on lean on him in our weaknesses. That is what he is saying to Paul.
"Lean on my grace instead of your own efforts. My grace can carry your when your strength is not enough. In those areas where you are weak, in those areas where you continue to struggle, rather than hiding them from me, come to me and lean on my. My strength will carry you when you cannot carry yourself. My grace is enough."
That is what this breath prayer is about.
Prayer
Almighty God, be strong in my weakness