"Sustained by Prayer"
A Devotional Thought for January 21, 2025
From the Pen of John Bunyan
Based on the Scripture Passage:
But he [Christ] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness”
2 Corinthians 12:9.
At another time, I remember I was again much under the question, Whether the blood of Christ was sufficient to save my soul? In which doubt I continued from morning till about seven or eight at night; until I was quite worn out with fear. These words did sound suddenly within my heart, He is able! But I thought this word “ABLE” was spoke so loud to me; it showed such a great word, it seemed to be writ in great letters. And it ended [my] my fears just like that. I mean for a time it stayed with me—about a day. I never had such an experience in all my life, either before or after that.
But one morning, when I was again at prayer, and trembling under the fear that no word of God could help me, that piece of a sentence darted in upon me, “My grace is sufficient.” I thought I felt secure, as if there might be hope. But, oh how good a thing it is for God to send his Word! For about a fortnight [15 days] before I was looking at this very place [in the Scriptures], and then I thought it could not come near my soul with comfort. Then I thought God’s grace was not large enough for me; no, not [nearly] large enough! But now, it was as if it had arms so wide that it could not only enclose me, but many more besides.
By these words I was sustained, yet not without exceeding conflicts. For the space of seven or eight weeks, my peace would be in and out, sometimes twenty times a day. Therefore, I still did pray to God that he would help me to apply the whole sentence, “My grace is sufficient.”
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