To Get God’s Power, Admit You Need His Help

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES When You're Hoping for a Miracle

To Get God's Power, Admit You Need His Help By Rick Warren — Jul 28, 2016 “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13 NLT, second edition). A right relationship with Jesus is foundational to every area of your life. Your physical health is no exception. Through a secure relationship with Jesus, you can grow and change in ways it’s impossible to do without one. In truth, we can’t accomplish anything having to do with our health without God: “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13 NLT, second edition). Getting healthy, like any major change we make in our lives, can seem like an impossible challenge. Of course, it is impossible for those who try to do it on their own! But in our inadequacy, God’s strength for the person of faith is made perfectly evident. That’s why it takes faith to maintain your health the way God desires. You’ll never be able to do it on your own. You were never intended to be able to! Anything you can do in your own willpower doesn’t require faith, and when faith is not required, we’re living faithlessly. When you come to Christ in acknowledgement of your weaknesses, he often turns your greatest weakness into your greatest strength. God loves to turn our greatest weakness into our greatest strength. If you feel you have a weak faith or even no faith, depend on God, and let him turn it into your greatest strength. But that only happens through God’s power. The Bible tells us there’s a direct connection between faith and power. The more faith you have in God, the more power and the more blessings you will have in your life. Jesus illustrated this in Matthew 13, where he went for a visit in his hometown, Nazareth. The Bible says Jesus “did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief” (verse 58). God blesses people who are not afraid to trust him completely. When you give him your trust, God fills you with his power. In the Bible, Abraham is considered the father of faith. It says, “He didn’t doubt God’s promise out of a lack of faith. Instead, giving honor to God for the promise, he became strong because of faith” (Romans 4:20 GW). Without God’s power in your life, you’re just running on your own energy. And God never meant for you to do that. It’s like having a laptop that’s unplugged; the battery will eventually drain and all the power will be gone. Why would you live like that? Think of it like this: You’ve got a small battery in you. You can run through life on your own power, which means you’ll be tired all the time. Or you have access to God’s power plant, provided you just plug in and admit you need God’s help. It’s really a pretty easy choice. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over When is the last time you attempted something that could only be done by the power of God?How did you see God work through that situation? What are some of the differences between getting healthy in your own power and getting healthy through God’s power? What are some warning signs in your own life that you’re trying to do something on your own power rather than God’s power? Our Gift: God's Power to Change Your Life Book God is all about changing lives. He can help you through any struggle you’re facing, and take you from where you are to where you want to be. In God’s Power to Change Your Life, Rick Warren lays the groundwork for personal transformation, offering biblical insights on what it takes to become more loving, live more peacefully, develop patience, and have self-control. LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren When You're Hoping for a Miracle teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: ​When You're Running Out of Everything Message 2: ​​​​​​​​​When You Can't See Your Way Clearly Message 3: ​​When You've Come Up Empty Message 4: ​When You Feel You're Sinking Message 5: When A Marriage Has Ended Message 6: ​​When You're Drowning In Debt Message 7: When A Friend is Dying PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at rickwarren.org. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe