God Promises Strength

God promises strength

As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength.

Psalm 138:3 NLT

Steps on Your Journey to Embrace God’s Faithfulness:

• The condition for these promises is to pray. Do you take the time to pray when you have problems or do you try to solve them yourself without prayer? What happens when you leave God out of the equation? Are you as successful in solving your problems or do you falter?
• The first promise in this verse says that as soon as you pray God answers you. Why don’t you always see the answers?
  • Daniel had been praying for God’s help, but didn’t see the answer right away. What does Daniel 9:23 (NIV) tell you? “As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed.” In Daniel 10, he prayed for twenty-one days before he saw the answer, yet God had sent the answer with the angel Michael as soon as he started praying. Read the whole chapter to find out more.
  • Sometimes we don’t see the answer immediately, but that doesn’t mean God hasn’t answered. Also, remember God may not answer in the same way you would like. Sometimes He says yes, sometimes no and sometimes not yet. What does Psalm 38:15 (NIV) add? “Lord, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God.”
• The second promise is that God encourages us by giving us strength. The Hebrew word for “encourage” here is rahab. It also means to make us bold. Look at other translations of this promise: “You made me bold and energized me” (NET).;“You made me bold and stouthearted” (NIV); “You made me bold with strength in my soul” (NAS).
• How has God encouraged you by giving you strength?
• In what areas do you need encouragement or strength? Ask the Lord to show you and watch Him answer you.
• I hiked the incline going up Pikes Peak the first time with Ian, my fiancé who died. It gains almost two thousand feet of elevation in less than one mile with over two thousand steps. It is extremely difficult, especially if you are not in good shape. I was exhausted going up, but Ian and I encouraged

each other to keep going. That gave us strength to make it up. God does the same for us, giving us strength when we are weary.

A Prayer for You:

Lord, thank You that, as soon as I pray to You, You answer, even though I may not see the answer right away. Help me to trust that You are answering me. Thank You for encouraging me by giving me strength when I feel tired, weary or exhausted. I need Your strength every day, Lord.

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Excerpted from The Surprising Joy of Embracing God’s Promises.

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