Strength When Your Social Battery Is Low - Your Nightly Prayer - June 7th
Strength When Your Social Battery Is Low
Your Nightly Prayer
TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE
“The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.” – Exodus 15:2 (NLT)
SOMETHING TO PONDER
One of the most iconic fights in boxing history was between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. This fight happened in 1974 in Zaire, (which is now the Democratic Republic of Congo), and was given the nickname The Rumble in the Jungle. At the time, George Foreman entered the fight as the undefeated champion and possessed incredible power in his hands, literally dismantling some of the great fighters of his generation. Ali was not as strong as Foreman, but he used a strategy called “Rope-a-Dope” where he leaned on the ropes, allowing Foreman to punch at him as hard as he could. The problem was that Foreman was missing a lot more punches than he was landing on Ali. While he started out strong and aggressive, the constant barrage of punches and misses tired him out, and by the eighth round, he was exhausted, and his strength was gone. Ali took advantage of that exhaustion and eventually knocked him out in that round.
Your personal rumble in the jungle
So often your life is like this fight. You start out with great enthusiasm or vigor, accepting the challenge ahead, pressing on with everything you've got. As the journey continues, however, you may notice that you don’t feel as strong and you are running out of gas. If that happens long enough, eventually you end up in a place where you have nothing left to give, and at that point, you become weak and vulnerable. However, there is something different about our battles. You don’t need to be the source of your strength or your victory. This verse in Exodus reminds us that God is the source of our strength and our victory.
The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.
This verse was part of a song the Israelites sang after fleeing the Egyptians, crossing the Red Sea, and seeing God close the sea on the Egyptian army. They had won the victory, yet it was God who fought for them and allowed them to defeat the Egyptians. Your battle is the same way. You never have to fight in your own strength because you are not the source of it. You simply need to learn how to depend on God. If you don’t, then you become just like George Foreman. You will fight with everything you have until all your strength is gone, and in that position, you will find yourself on the losing end of the battle. Regardless of what you are facing right now, there are two options. You can fight by yourself (rope-a-dope), or you can allow God to fight in you and for you. What I can tell you is one of these is a winning strategy, and I think you already know which one it is.
YOUR NIGHLY PRAYER
Lord,
Sometimes the hardest part of the battle is learning to allow you to fight for me. Teach me to let go of the idea that I must do this myself. Help me to be still, to wait in your presence, to sit at your feet and allow you to be my source and my strength. Remind me that in doing this, I will find all the strength I need to continue in the journey. Thank you for your patience with me and for supplying what I need, especially when all I have is gone.
I pray all this in Jesus’ name,
Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
- God never intended for you to fight in your own strength. That’s why he gave you the Holy Spirit.
- Regardless of how strong you are, you are a limited resource.
- Finding strength in the Lord requires that you spend time with him. If you neglect this, then it is only a matter of time before all your strength is gone.
Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/skyNext
He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose, which helps readers understand how God leads them into his will, and the author of The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. Clarence is also committed to helping 10,000 people learn how to study the Bible and has released his first course, Bible Study Basics, to achieve that goal. To learn more about his ministry and resources, please visit clarencehaynes.com.
For the one who is weary without answers. If you’re still showing up and still praying — but starting to wonder if it’s working — this 90-day devotional will meet you right there, with honesty and Scripture in place of easy answers.
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