He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. (1 Samuel 2:9)
Today's Morsel: Often, when I tell people that I won't pray for them for strength, they give me a weird look as if to say, "How can you be a pastor and say you won't pray for me for strength when I need it." I tell them that their strength came with the Holy Ghost, the same as love, joy, peace, faith, and anything else that Jesus gives. You just need to stir it up within you. Peter tells us to add to our faith (2 Peter 1:5). Jesus gives it to you, but He's not going to improve it for you. You have to do that yourself. As He told Martha, if you want to see you brother Lazarus live again, you're gonna have to remove the stone. I'm not doing it for you. (John 1:20-43; my wording). Hanna said, "For by strength shall no man prevail." You aren't going to prevail over your enemy and situation with human strength. It takes prayer, fasting, and faith. It takes brokenness to prevail. When you get on the other side of brokenness, you will find that's where Jesus is. When God sent Isaiah to King Hezekiah, Isaiah records, "In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying, Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years. And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city. And this shall be a sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he hath spoken; Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down" (Isaiah 38:1-8). He prevailed because of his repentance and prayers, not by his strength. So stop praying for strength. Establish a strong prayer life and keep the Holy Ghost stirred up within you.
Sing: Hear my cry O' Lord attend unto my prayer, from the ends of the earth will I cry unto Thee. And when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to that Rock, that is higher than I, so much higher than I.
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