Joyful Moments in Christ

We often spend our lives trying to build up our own strength, believing that if we just work harder or plan better, we can protect ourselves from life’s storms. Eventually, we reach a point where our energy is spent, our health wavers, or our emotional reserves run dry. This prayer based on Psalm 73:26 invites us to stop hiding our weaknesses and instead bring them to the one whose power is made perfect in them. As we seek to follow Jesus, we will discover that true contentment and joy do not come from our own sufficiency, but from the radical truth that when we are at our end, God is just beginning to be our portion forever.

A Prayer

Dear Father,

You are a strong provider, one who never fails. Everything you set out to do, you accomplish. I adore you for your infinite power and your unwavering commitment to your people. You are the rock that does not move, the anchor that holds in every storm, and the King who rules with both justice and mercy. Your greatness is unsearchable, and yet you lean down to hear the whispers of the brokenhearted. I praise you for being a God who is both far above all things and intimately near to us.

I am sorry that I do not always believe this. When things get hard, I trust in myself, I trust in others, but I often fail to trust in you. I confess that I try to carry burdens you never intended for me to bear alone. I have sought security in my bank account, my reputation, and my own physical abilities rather than in your presence. I am sorry for the pride that makes me believe I can sustain myself. I am weak and succumb to temptation; I put myself into situations that injure my body and mind, chasing after things that can never truly satisfy my soul.

Thank you that you do not hold this against me. No matter how many times I reject you and fail to trust in you, you do not give up on me. You are always waiting for me with open arms, ready to restore what I have broken. I am so grateful for the promise found in Psalm 73:26 (ESV): “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Thank you that when my own strength is gone, yours remains. Thank you for being enough for me when I feel like I have nothing left to give.

I ask that you continue to remind me of your strength and power. Remind me to turn to you in my troubles rather than turning inward or away. As I face difficulty, be my protector and guide! Grant me a deep, abiding joy that remains even when my flesh is weary and my heart is heavy. Help me to find total contentment in you as my portion, realizing that having you is better than having all the comforts of this world. Change my heart to rely on you daily, and give me the grace to follow Jesus with a spirit that rests in your sufficiency.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Reflect

Consider the following reflection questions:

1. What is one area of your life where you feel your “flesh and heart” failing right now?
2. How would your day change if you truly believed God was your “portion” and all you really needed?
3. Think of a time you tried to fix a problem in your own strength. What was the result?
4. Why is it so difficult to turn to God first rather than as a last resort when we are in trouble?
5. What is one practical way you can rely on God’s strength instead of your own this week?

Respond

Please pray a prayer about trusting in the one who never fails.

If you aren’t sure where to begin, you can use the ACTS method: Adoration, Confession, Thankfulness, and Supplication:

• Adoration: Praise God. Does this topic bring any specific characteristics of God to mind?
• Confession: Tell God that you are sorry for specific sins. Does this topic bring any specific sins to mind?
• Thankfulness: Show gratitude towards God. Does anything from this topic inspire gratitude?
• Supplication: Make requests for yourself and for others. Does anything from this topic inspire a prayer?

If helpful, you can use a prayer journal template.

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English Standard Version (ESV): Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.