February 18, 2025

2 Corinthians 12:6-10  (HCSB)
6 For if I want to boast, I will not be a fool, because I will be telling the truth. But I will spare you, so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me, 7 especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me. 9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. 10 So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Patrick Nix
Paul pleaded with God three times to remove his “thorn in the flesh,” but God’s response was not what Paul had hoped for. Instead of relief, Paul received a deeper revelation of God’s sustaining grace. The unanswered prayer became a platform for Paul to experience God’s power in his weakness. It’s hard to accept when God says “no” or “not yet.” In those moments, it’s tempting to believe He’s distant or unkind. Yet, unanswered prayers often reveal His greater purposes. By leaving the thorn, God was shaping Paul’s character, drawing him closer, and showcasing His strength through Paul’s dependence. What unanswered prayer is weighing on your heart? Could it be that God is using this very situation to refine you, to draw you nearer to Him, and to demonstrate His power? Trust that His “no” is not a rejection but a redirection—a grace-filled invitation to rely on Him more deeply.