1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your Daily Prayer, 2 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: a podcast dedicated to helping you find the words you 3 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: need to connect with your Father in Heaven. No matter 4 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 1: what is going on in your life today, you can 5 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:27,760 Speaker 1: trust that God wants to hear from you. Right after 6 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,160 Speaker 1: the short word from our sponsor, you will pray through 7 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: today's prayer and you feel like you can't do anything right. 8 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 1: Together A prayer when you feel like you can't do 9 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: anything right, written by Vivian Bricker, read by Carrie Eiberger. 10 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 1: But he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, 11 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 1: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I 12 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:12,759 Speaker 1: will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so 13 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,480 Speaker 1: that the power of Christ may rest upon me Second 14 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: Corinthians twelve, verse nine. For my entire life, I have 15 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: struggled to feel good at anything. The only thing I 16 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:29,399 Speaker 1: seemed to excel at was getting on my parents' nerves 17 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: and ending up in the principal's office for talking too 18 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 1: much to my friends when we were supposed to be 19 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: listening to the teacher. When I started homeschooling in the 20 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:42,639 Speaker 1: seventh grade, I was still a problem for my parents. However, 21 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: this time it was due to an undiagnosed depression, anxiety, 22 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: and an eating disorder. Having these complex struggles it hard 23 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: me to do normal things. While my sister could handle 24 00:01:55,920 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: various tasks without a problem, I had tremendous difficulty. My 25 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: oldest sister is very gifted at the piano. She is 26 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: a natural interest in music and a knack for picking 27 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 1: up new instruments quickly. I, on the other hand, do not. 28 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: Every Friday, my mother had my sister and me give 29 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 1: a piano presentation, or we would perform the song we 30 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: had been learning that week. My mother was very happy 31 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 1: with my performances, yet my sister would receive what felt 32 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: like a standing ovation. My sister deserved praise for her performance. However, 33 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: I can still admit that it deeply hurt my feelings. 34 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,080 Speaker 1: Despite my best efforts to be good at something, I 35 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: continue to fail because I was compared to my sister 36 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:43,799 Speaker 1: and never measured up. I ingrained five words into my mind, 37 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: you are not good enough. Despite sleepless nights, constant effort, 38 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 1: and doing everything I could, I accepted the belief that 39 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 1: I was inadequate. The thought that you're not good enough 40 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:00,800 Speaker 1: still circles in my mind. This very day, because I've 41 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: never had anything or anyone fully break that cycle. Instead, 42 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 1: I've often encountered things. It seemed to reaffirm the idea 43 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:14,240 Speaker 1: that I'm a failure. The apostle, Paul tells us. But 44 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, 45 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,359 Speaker 1: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I 46 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: will boast fall the more gladly of my weaknesses, so 47 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:28,520 Speaker 1: that the power of Christ may rest upon me. In 48 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 1: this passage, Paul shares a personal conversation he had with 49 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: the Lord, one that seems to have changed his life, 50 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: and it can change ours too. Since Jesus has extended 51 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: grace upon grace in our lives, we need to extend 52 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: that same grace to ourselves. Maybe we can't do many 53 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: things perfectly, but the Lord still loves us, and he 54 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 1: covers us with his grace. He is always with us, 55 00:03:56,240 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 1: and he helps us when we feel deeply disappointed in ourselves. 56 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 1: Paul says, you will boast in his weaknesses so that 57 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: the power of Christ may rest upon him. We can 58 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: do the same, because our weakness reveals the Lord's power 59 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 1: even more clearly. None of us is good enough on 60 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: our own, because we all fall short of the glory 61 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:22,159 Speaker 1: of God. We all mess up and we won't be 62 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 1: the best at everything. That's part of being human. Rather 63 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:29,840 Speaker 1: than beating ourselves up, we need to accept our humanity 64 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: and embrace the Lord's kindness. Let's pray. Dear Lord, I 65 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 1: praise you that your power is made perfect in weakness. 66 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:43,279 Speaker 1: I feel extremely weak and I don't do as i'd like. 67 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: I'm not perfect, but I know you don't expect me 68 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: to be. All I can do is try my best 69 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:52,919 Speaker 1: and allow your power to shine through me. Help me 70 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 1: to remember this truth even when I know I'm not 71 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 1: doing as well as everyone around me. I don't enjoy 72 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:02,359 Speaker 1: feeling like I'm not at but I understand that it 73 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 1: humbles me and helps me to grow. I thank you 74 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: that you love me to spite my shortcomings, and you 75 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: helped me to become a better version of myself. I 76 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: give you all the praise and honor. Lord, Amen. Your 77 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 1: Daily Prayer is a production of Life Audio and Sale Media. 78 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: If you haven't already, be sure to follow the show 79 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 1: in your favorite podcast app so you never missed an episode. 80 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 1: For more faithful inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio dot com.