Broken Vessels Still Pour - Your Nightly Prayer - June 12th
Broken Vessels Still Pour
by Rachel Wojo
TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." - 2 Corinthians 4:7-9
SOMETHING TO PONDER
I want to ask you something tonight. When was the last time you looked at a broken object and thought it still had value? My husband just used the cliché recently: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. In our throwaway culture, brokenness often equals worthlessness.
But God's economy works differently. In His hands, broken things don't lose their value—they often gain a new purpose. That's exactly what Paul is telling us in tonight's scripture.
Paul uses clay jars as a beautiful metaphor. They were ordinary, fragile containers that were common in his day. These weren't ornate vessels displayed on pedestals, but everyday pots that could easily crack or break. Yet these humble, breakable containers held valuable contents.
That's the picture Paul paints of our lives. We are fragile, imperfect vessels, cracked, chipped, and sometimes barely holding together. But within us dwells an extraordinary treasure: the light and power of God Himself.
The beauty of this metaphor isn't just that God uses imperfect people. It's that our very brokenness, our cracks and scars, allows His light to shine through all the more clearly.
I'm reminded of a Tuesday afternoon about three months after Taylor passed away. I was standing in Target, staring blankly at a shelf of school supplies, when a woman tapped me on the shoulder. "Excuse me," she said, "aren't you Rachel Wojo?" When I nodded, she told me how my blog posts about grief had been helping her since she lost her mother. "I don't know how you find the words," she said, "but they're exactly what I need."
I remember blinking back tears as I stood there in aisle 7, clutching a pack of pens I didn't really need. How could this be? I was barely functioning. That morning, I'd forgotten to pack my son's lunch. My inbox was overflowing with unanswered emails. My grief felt like a physical weight. And yet, somehow, God was using the words I managed to type through tears to reach this woman's heart.
During that time, I received a gift from a friend—a small clay pot with a candle inside. When lit, the light shone through all the cracks, creating a beautiful pattern on the wall. Attached was a note that simply read: "Your light still shines."
That visual reminder transformed my understanding of weakness and brokenness. I began to see how God was using my pain, not despite it but through it. The comfort I received from Him in my darkest moments became the comfort I could offer others. My desperate prayers became my most powerful testimony.
The apostle Paul goes on to describe being "hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." Notice he doesn't deny the reality of suffering—the pressure, the confusion, the attacks, the falls. But in each case, there's a divine "but not" that follows. Our brokenness is real, but it's not the final word.
As you prepare to rest tonight, remember this truth: Your cracks and wounds don't disqualify you from being used by God. They qualify you to show His power in unique ways. A perfect vessel draws attention to itself; a broken one that still functions points to the One who sustains it.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Heavenly Father,
As I come to you at the end of this day, I'm aware of my brokenness. You see every crack, every chip, every place where I feel like I'm barely holding together. I confess that sometimes I believe the lie that my brokenness makes me unusable, that my pain disqualifies me from Your purposes.
Lord, I surrender my broken places to You tonight. Use them to let your light shine through. When others see how you've sustained me, may they be drawn not to my strength but to Yours. When they witness how Your grace still pours through my life despite the cracks, may they thirst for the Living Water only You can provide. As I rest tonight, repair what needs healing, but keep me ever mindful that some cracks remain precisely so Your light can shine more brightly through them.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. A Crack That Became a Window: Remember a specific weakness or failure in your life that God eventually used for good. Perhaps a struggle that gave you compassion for others, a mistake that taught you wisdom, or a loss that connected you with someone who needed your understanding.
2. A "But Not” Moment: Think of a time when you felt the pressure Paul describes: hard pressed, perplexed, and struck down, but you experienced the divine "but not." Maybe it was simply the strength to get through one more day when you thought you couldn't.
3. A Light Through Someone Else's Cracks: Think of someone whose brokenness has blessed you. Whether a friend, pastor, or parent, their cracks allowed God's light to reach you.
As you drift off to sleep, remember this: The God who formed you from dust knows how to work with broken clay. Your cracks don't surprise Him, limit Him, or repel Him. They simply provide more opportunities for His power to be displayed and His grace to pour through.
Photo Credit: Getty Images/AlexLinch
If you're looking for guidance on deepening your prayer life in tough times, I invite you to check out my new book, Desperate Prayers: Embracing the Power of Prayer in Life's Darkest Moments. You'll find real-life stories, prayers, and practical ways to connect with God when you need Him most. You can learn more at desperateprayers.com.
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