How to Receive the Grace to Keep Going Through Troubles

by Rick Warren — January 27, 2021
From A Faith That Works When Life Doesn’t

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’”

2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (NIV)

What do you do when you can’t fix a problem, solve a riddle, change a circumstance, or control a hurt? You throw yourself on the sustaining grace of God.

He offers you the kind of grace you need to keep going in spite of temptations, trials, tension, tiredness, and troubles. To accept his grace, do these four things:

Cry out for God’s help. When you pretend to be self-sufficient, you short-circuit God’s power in your life. You need to admit your inadequacy and say, “God, I can’t handle this!” The Bible says, “‘God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.’ So give yourselves completely to God . . . Come near to God, and God will come near to you” (James 4:6-8 NCV).

Fill your mind with God’s Word. Let God’s Word comfort, strengthen, fill, soothe, and energize you to keep going. Get into it every single day of your life. The psalmist prayed, “I lie in the dust; revive me by your word” (Psalm 119:25 NLT). If you could find the solution within yourself, you’d already be changed. You need to look to God! He’s the only one with sustaining strength.

Accept support from God’s people. The Bible says that, by helping each other with our troubles, we obey the law of Christ, which is, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” God never meant for you to go through life on your own. Our weaknesses help us realize how much we need each other. You need to accept support from God’s people.

Hold on to God’s promises. There are around 5,500 of them in the Bible waiting to be claimed. Here’s one of them: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:29-31 NIV). Keep your hope in the Lord and your eyes focused on the hope of heaven, not just on the here and now.

The Bible says, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9 NIV).

When you’re going through a problem you can’t fix, don’t give up. Just look up!

Talk It Over

  • In what situation do you need God’s sustaining grace right now?
  • Which of God’s promises do you need to claim for that situation?
  • What godly people in your life can provide the support you need?

Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior?

You need God’s sustaining grace to get you through every circumstance of your life. But you need God’s grace most of all for your salvation.

The Bible says we all fall short of God’s perfect standard. Yet God still loves us—even though we sin and we’re flawed. In fact, God loves us so much that he showed us the ultimate grace: He sent his Son, Jesus, to cleanse us from our sins, and to bring us into the family of God.

If you’ve never accepted God’s love and invited Jesus into your heart, I want you to have that opportunity now. You can accept God’s gracious gift of salvation by praying:

“Dear God, I don’t understand it all, but I thank you for loving me. I thank you that you are gracious toward me and that you didn’t send Jesus to condemn me but to save me.

“I confess that I have sinned against you, and I admit I need Jesus as my Savior. I want a relationship with Jesus. I want to follow him and do the things he tells me to do.

“I ask you to save me from my past, regrets, mistakes, sins, habits, hurts, and hang-ups.

“I ask you to save me for your purpose. I want to know why you put me on this planet. And I want to fulfill what you made me to do. I want to learn to love you, to live in your grace, and to be in your family forever. In your name I pray, amen.”

If you just prayed that prayer, let me know by emailing me at [email protected]. I want to encourage you in your journey with Jesus and send you some free materials to help you take your first steps.


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