Head: Know God's Word | Heart: Love God | Hands: Follow God's Way

Read 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Head: 

Do you guys like dessert? What’s your favorite? What do your parents say when you ask them for a sweet treat? My guess is that sometimes they say yes and sometimes they say no, depending on the situation and what would be the best choice for you. Parents do this because they love you and want what is best for you. 

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul tells the Corinthians about a “thorn in the flesh” that he asked God to take away. We don’t know what that “thorn” was, but many people think that it was some type of health problem. Paul says that he asked God three times to take the thorn away, but that God told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” We know that God loved Paul and that Paul was passionately spreading the good news about Jesus around the world. So why would God say “no” to Paul?

Heart:

Sometimes we ask God for something and the answer is no. This can be so difficult to understand! I love how Paul trusts God completely and knows that God is going to use the “thorn” in his life for good. Paul even says, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” God’s yes or no can be trusted because he is a good Father who loves us and is making something beautiful out of even the difficult parts of life.

Hands:

I love to use the acronym PRAY when I talk to God: 

• P - Praise and thank God for his many gifts and blessings.
• R - Repent from your sins.
• A - Ask God for the things you need.
• Y - Yield by trusting that God’s way is best. 

Take some time to pray as a family. Thank God that His way is best and that we can trust Him - even when the answer to our prayers is no. 

Check out more tools for your family at the Family Resource webpage!