A prayer for staying strong in 2021 by Alicia Hedley, read by Leah Martin.

That is why for Christ's sake I delight in weaknesses in insults insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.

For when I am weak, then I am strong

2 Corinthians 1210

It's always a great thing to set goals for ourselves when a new year begins

We can have all the intentions to start the year strong like perhaps we did in 2020. But what happens if a crisis hits that throws you completely off course like the one we all experienced this past year.

What if 2021 looks similar to 2020. Are you so tied to the outcome of this pandemic or

your difficult road you're walking that you often feel weak?

What if the way to staying strong in 2021 is leaning on the only one who is strong?

Because what if this same time next year, the pandemic is still around?

And what if it's here to stay for another year? I'm not sure how you're feeling

after a year that none of us ever imagined nor expected to walk through.

But sometimes not having the answers is what finally points us to the one who is the answer.

Jesus himself.

In today's scripture, Paul is writing to the church in Corinth about the story of having a thorn in his flesh.

He's describing how he was given a thorn in the flesh and prayed that it would be removed from him.

The Lord responded with saying,

My grace is sufficient for you,

for my strength is made perfect in your weakness.

First 9.

We're not sure if the thorn in Paul's flesh was ever removed, But it is then that Paul took pleasure in life's infirmities, saying that it is in those times, when he is weak, then he is strong.

Paul knew that if he never had the distresses in life,

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