Live Through It: Grace, Prayer, and Perseverance

Devotional

Day 1: Grace That Turns Weakness Into Strength

Sometimes God permits a thorn that hurts, not to harm you, but to keep you close and usable. The pain is real, yet it is not wasted; it becomes the very place where Christ rests His power on you. You do not have to manufacture strength or pretend you are fine. In humility and honesty, you can say, “I am weak,” and discover that you are not abandoned—you are carried. Let this thorn press you to prayer, to the Word, and to quiet trust. Right in that weakness, you will find sufficient grace and a surprising strength that is not your own [23:45].

2 Corinthians 12:9–10: The Lord told me, “My grace is enough for you; My power shows its fullness where you are weakest.” So I choose to rejoice in my limitations so the power of Christ can rest on me. For His sake I accept insults, hardships, needs, persecutions, and tight places, because when I am weak, then I am truly strong.

Reflection: Where is the thorn pressing you right now, and what is one concrete way you will lean into Christ’s “enough” today—such as a brief prayer before a difficult conversation or asking someone to pray with you?

Day 2: Live Through It With Christ’s Peace

Life brings tribulation, but Jesus offers a deeper center—peace that steadies your mind and helps you operate rightly amid chaos. Stress at work, pressure at home, and unexpected interruptions don’t choose your response; His peace can. The One living in you has already overcome the world, and He shares that victory as calm courage for the next step. Breathe, remember His presence, and refuse the lie that you are alone in this. Let His peace become the rhythm of your day, guiding your decisions and softening your words. Keep living through it, not by gritting your teeth, but by welcoming the Overcomer’s peace into the very place that hurts [44:59].

John 16:33: I’ve told you these things so that in Me you can have peace. In the world you’ll face trouble, but take heart—I’ve already conquered the world.

Reflection: When the pressure rises (traffic, deadlines, a hard meeting), what simple practice will you use this week to receive Christ’s peace in the moment—breath prayer, a whispered verse, or a 60-second pause?

Day 3: Grow Through It: Strength in the Struggle

Like a butterfly that needs resistance to fly, you need the struggle to gain spiritual strength. Challenges become classrooms where contentment is learned, character is formed, and desire for God deepens. Stay in the Word, stay on your knees, and stay obedient when everything in you wants to go the other way. That thorn can become a holy teacher—keeping you humble, prayerful, and hungry for God. Refuse complacency; let holy hunger move you beyond comfort into maturity. By grace, you won’t just endure—you will grow through it, and the enemy won’t be able to keep you down [38:24].

Philippians 4:11–13: I’ve learned how to be content no matter the situation. I know what it is to have little and to have plenty, to be full and to be hungry. I can walk through every circumstance through the One who gives me strength.

Reflection: What specific struggle is God using to grow you right now, and which practice will you adopt for the next seven days—one passage to meditate on, ten focused minutes of prayer, or a concrete act of obedience you’ve delayed?

Day 4: Get Through It: Obedience and Next-Level Faith

Getting through it takes effort—small, faithful steps taken when you’d rather stay comfortable. God loves to use ordinary people who show up, pay attention, and say yes, even when schedules are full and energy is thin. Listen for His direction; often the answer is already in the Word, in prayer, or in wise counsel you’ve heard. Courage grows as you act, not before you act. Let today be your “out of the comfort zone” moment for Jesus, trusting that His strength meets you on the move. Step forward, and watch Him turn “stuck” into “through” [41:19].

Acts 19:18–20: Many in Ephesus who believed openly admitted what they had done; they even brought their magic scrolls and burned them, absorbing the loss. In this way, the Lord’s message spread with force and kept prevailing.

Reflection: What is one concrete step of obedience that would move you from stalled to “through”—a call to make, a confession to offer, a task to finish—and when, specifically, will you do it?

Day 5: Pray Through It: Power in the Holy Ghost

Prayer is your secret weapon; it keeps your heart clean, your ears open, and your steps aligned with God. Don’t just pray until you feel something—linger until God searches you, strengthens you, and reshapes what needs to change. If you have a Spirit-given prayer language, use it to build yourself up; if not, ask and keep asking for the Spirit’s empowering. Regular, short conversations with God throughout the day can keep you in His love and mercy. You cannot make it in your own strength, but you can be strengthened as you pray through it. Keep praying, keep living, and let the Spirit lift you where your flesh cannot go [52:47].

Jude 20–21: But you, dear ones, build yourselves up on your most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love while you look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings you into eternal life.

Reflection: What will your daily prayer rhythm be this week—specific times, length, and focus—and how will you incorporate praying in the Spirit or asking God to fill you with His Spirit?

Sermon Summary

Paul reminded me—and all of us—that God often trusts us with thorns. He allowed a thorn in Paul’s flesh not to crush him, but to keep him usable, humble, and close. Three times Paul asked for removal, and heaven answered with something better than removal: “My grace is sufficient for you; my strength is made perfect in weakness.” That is not theory; that is a way of life. When I am weak, then I am strong—because Christ rests on the surrendered, not the self-sufficient.

So I called us to live through it, grow through it, get through it, and pray through it. Living through it means refusing to make permanent decisions in temporary pain. It means remembering that your mind is where endings and beginnings are decided. Growing through it means letting the thorn drive you to your knees, into the Word, and into obedience when your emotions want to go left and God says, “Go right.” Getting through it takes effort—like our sister who stepped out of her comfort zone and discovered new strength by doing the hard thing in front of others. There is strength in the struggle; the butterfly can’t fly if you cut the cocoon.

In the battles at work, in the fatigue of long days, and in the unseen wars of the heart, peace is not passivity—it’s the interior steadiness that lets you act like Jesus when everything around you is loud. That peace comes from staying near: listening more than talking, letting the Word read you, and allowing the Holy Ghost to build what you cannot manufacture. Some prayers must go a layer deeper—beyond the first warm feeling—until God starts moving attitudes, breaking up fallow ground, and reshaping desires.

I urged us to be hungry. God lifts ordinary people who are willing to be obedient. He moved through Paul in Ephesus not because Paul had an easy road, but because he had a surrendered one. The same God invites us higher—level after level, not for pride but for service. So we give ourselves again. We keep on living. We pray often and long enough to hear. And we trust that grace is not a cushion; it’s power to live, grow, get through, and pray through—until the thorn becomes a testimony and weakness becomes a doorway for Christ’s strength.

Key Takeaways

1. Weakness is the doorway to strength Our automatic prayer is for God to remove what hurts; God’s answer is often to rest His power on us inside the hurt. Strength is not found in pretending we’re okay, but in welcoming Christ to inhabit our honest limits. Humility keeps us usable; weakness keeps us close. The thorn becomes an altar where grace proves sufficient. [23:45]
2. Struggle forms what comfort cannot A life without resistance cannot carry glory; the struggle builds wings. If we escape the cocoon too early, we sabotage the strength we’ll need later. God is not cruel; He is cultivating capacity. Embrace the training, and you’ll find courage you didn’t know you had. [38:01]
3. Choose obedience when thorns press Pain will try to steer your decisions, but obedience guards your direction. “Go right” when everything in you wants to go left—this is how character is forged. In Ephesus, costly obedience turned a city upside down; God still entrusts impact to yielded people. [35:44]
4. Pray through, don’t just pray Stop where we usually stop and we miss the surgery grace intends to do. Pray until God not only visits but rearranges—attitudes shift, motives clear, and burdens lift. That kind of praying gives peace with backbone and love with stamina. [57:40]
5. Let the Spirit build your faith When words fail, pray in the Holy Ghost and let God strengthen what’s sagging within. The Spirit builds faith and keeps us in the love of God when circumstances drain us. This is not hype; it’s supply for the soul that refuses to quit. [59:15]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[20:56] - Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 12
[23:45] - “My Grace Is Sufficient”
[28:49] - Live Through It: The Theme
[33:12] - Grow Through It: Formation in Trial
[35:44] - Obedience and Ephesus Turned Upside Down
[38:01] - Strength in the Struggle: The Cocoon
[41:05] - Get Through It: Effort and Courage
[43:54] - Peace in Tribulation, Not Escape
[47:45] - Hearing God: Word, Prayer, Attention
[50:37] - Surrender: “I Give Myself”
[51:12] - Pray Through It: A Life of Prayer
[58:37] - Power of the Holy Ghost
[61:10] - Keep on Living: A Mother’s Counsel
[62:11] - Closing Appeal: Live Through It

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- 2 Corinthians 12:6-10

Observation questions

In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, what was given to Paul, and for what purpose? How did the Lord answer his three requests for removal?
According to 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, what does Paul say he will “most gladly” do, and what will rest upon him as a result?
The call was to “live through it, grow through it, get through it.” What did each phrase mean in context? [29:09]
What picture was used to show why struggle is necessary, and what happens if the process is cut short? [38:01]

Interpretation questions

How does “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” reshape what a person asks for when a thorn won’t move? What would strength-in-weakness look like in daily practice? [23:45]
When pain presses, choosing to “go right” when everything inside wants to “go left” shows what about trust and surrender? In what ways can that choice guard a person’s direction over time? [35:17]
What is the difference between stopping at the first sense of God’s presence and “praying through” until attitudes and desires begin to shift? What kind of heart-change is envisioned? [57:40]
Why might God allow seasons of resistance like a cocoon? What capacity does struggle form that comfort cannot, and how might that prepare a believer for future assignments? [38:01]

Application questions

Identify one present “thorn.” Where is it keeping you humble and close? What is one specific way you will invite Christ to rest His power on you inside it this week? [23:45]
Where are you tempted to make a permanent decision in temporary pain? What step will help you “live through it” and guard your mind this week—pause, counsel, Scripture, or waiting a day before deciding? [28:49]
When emotions pull left, what concrete “go right” act of obedience will you practice in the next seven days—at work, at home, or online? What will it cost, and how will you prepare your heart to do it? [35:17]
What “hard thing” outside your comfort zone will you attempt as a way to get through it and grow—leading, serving, speaking, confessing, or reconciling? When will you do it, and who will you ask to pray for you? [41:57]
After a draining day, what two rhythms will help you keep inner peace so you still act like Jesus—listening more than talking, letting the Word read you, or pausing to pray before you respond? [47:58]
What would “pray through” look like in your schedule this week? How long will you linger, and what one area do you sense God wants to rearrange—an attitude, a motive, or a desire? [57:40]
If you pray in the Holy Ghost, when will you set aside focused time to build your faith and keep yourself in the love of God? If you are seeking this empowerment, what step will you take to ask and receive—conversation, Scripture study, or dedicated prayer time? [59:15]

Sermon Clips

Regardless of how bad it may seem, regardless of how low I may have been, regardless of the man in situations, but he was also able to grow, grow through it, grow, grow through it. What do you do when times are hard? Do you continue to reach out to God? Do you continue to go to God? This is the real truth, acid test of a Christian. Do you have a good attitude or do you have a bad attitude? Like Pastor said, sometimes we don't always handle things the way they should be handled. But God gives us the grace to grow, grow through it. [00:32:13] (80 seconds) #AttitudeAndFaith

The devil couldn't get him down. He grew through. The devil can't get us down. We should grow through it. How do we grow through it? Get in this world. Stay on our knees. And definitely stay obedient. Stay obedient. God, this thorn makes me want to go left, but you said go right, go right. In Paul's prime, as a preacher of the gospel, he turned Ephesus, a city, a great city, upside down with Jesus Christ. The city began to lose its silversmith's craft, and people burned up a great dollar amount of curious arts and silver shrines and began to follow who? Follow Christ. [00:35:08] (50 seconds) #ObedienceOverComfort

And that was a good crowd. God bless you. But like I said, it takes effort. But also you could be going through one of the greatest trials of your life. Like I said, it's taking every ounce. Ounce I feel. You may be on the job still saying, glory, glory, glory. Check and flow. But you're in the battle of your life. I'm saying, right? My friend Christ Jesus reassured us that we would, he would be with us every step of the way. My friend, I would invite you to follow Christ. Follow Christ. [00:43:17] (51 seconds) #FollowChristAlways

Jesus in you has overcome the tribulations that you face. And I admit, you know, it does get hard. You have to go through the process. You know, have you ever just had a hard day? Especially at work. You know, at work maybe you may have hit the slew a couple times too many. But you'll just drain, you know. You just hit, you just hit, got those 18 minutes in. You know what I'm saying? You're already running late through the traffic or whatever. [00:45:08] (32 seconds) #ChristWithinOvercomes

And it may start to rain or something like that. You know what I'm saying? You're already stressed before you get there. Maybe the boss throws something on you. Even before you get in the office or before you get started, you know. Stress is already there. And it's just a struggle to get, get through the day. But yet and still, you have to operate as a Christian. Yet and still, Sister Stacey, you have to operate Christ-like. Yet and still, you have to follow Christ. Yet and still, you have to demonstrate the graces of the Bible, Christianity, the Holy Ghost. Amen. [00:45:41] (43 seconds) #ChristlikeInChaos

There's been something that was said that God does nothing but in answer to what, Pastor? Prayer. The greatest revivals happened because people were in prayer. Prayer, first off, repenting of sin and cleansing themselves, working on themselves. Then prayer, working to get others, others to Christ. Prayer to get the ability, the ability to work in their gifts. Prayer to see God, God's kingdom, and God, God move. [00:51:16] (53 seconds) #PrayerChangesEverything

And saints, we need to build that. Can you imagine how busy Paul the apostle was when he went to God? A tent maker. For how busy pastor was on his job. Sister Tucker was on brother Franklin. For however busy you all are on your job. How busy you may be. But still, God, spend time with you. He wants you touching his heart. When I came here, the brother was praying. The spirit of God was here. For God, whatever song you had on, it was already matching with this message tonight. God was already here. [00:54:32] (48 seconds) #MakeTimeForGod

It's not all about worship, and it is. It's not all about praying for others, and it is. And it's not all about praying for what we need and want, and it is. And it's not all about praying for the church, and it is. But sometimes it just says, God, where am I? Where am I at in all this equation? In all this equation, where am I at? I want to be clean, the right inside. I need you. I need you to cleanse me. I need you to break it up. [00:56:46] (32 seconds) #CheckYourHeart

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