Strength in Weakness. First 7, Day 3.

Feeling physically weak can be one of the greatest spiritual blessings. There is, as Paul described, a war being waged between our flesh and our spirit. This week, the spirit is winning. In his darkest hour, Jesus could not count on his friends to stand watch and pray with him for even an hour because “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” Most of our lives are spent capitulating to the demands of our bodies. This makes our bodies strong but our spirits weak. Most of the time we suffer from strong, considered, and carefully tended bodies. We dress them just so, wash them, and feed them as soon as they demand it — but what about the more eternal part of us? There is a correlation between the physical strength and the spiritual weakness that we feel.  When we talk, we say we are a body and we have a soul, but isn’t it closer to the truth that we are a soul and we have a body? You may be feeling better than earlier in the fast but still very weak. Try not to overexert yourself (obviously) and make adjustments for a less capable body, but at the same time recognize that spiritually you are gaining strength. You should be able to pray a little longer than you usually do. You should be feeling a little clearer than usual, and hearing from God might be easier as well. Take advantage of this time of physical weakness, and drink in the benefits of the growing spiritual strength. Try to spend some extended time in prayer. If you feel unsure of what to do with the time you usually spend eating: Pray.

Ask God for deliverance from sins that you have always struggled with. You may find new strength to break free. I recommend also praying the Lord’s Prayer. Not necessarily word for word, but praying out of the spirit of each line all throughout the day.

Hang in there; His strength is made perfect in your weakness.