2/17/2026

Day 17: 

Paul’s Thorn

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 (NLT)

Few figures in Scripture appear as spiritually formidable as the apostle Paul. He encountered the risen Christ, planted churches across the Roman world, endured persecution with resilience, and received revelations so profound he struggled to describe them. Yet Paul tells us that alongside these extraordinary gifts came something deeply painful: “a thorn in my flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). And strikingly, Paul identifies this thorn not as an accident or oversight, but as a gift with a purpose—“to keep me from becoming conceited.”

We are not told what the thorn was. Scripture leaves it unnamed so that every believer might recognize their own reflection in Paul’s experience. Chronic weakness, persistent opposition, physical limitation, emotional struggle, unrelenting temptation—whatever it was, it hurt deeply enough that Paul pleaded with God repeatedly for its removal. “Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away” (v. 8). This was not casual prayer. It was earnest, desperate, repeated intercession.

And God said no!

Instead of removal, Paul received revelation: “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (v. 9). This answer overturns our assumptions. We often believe effectiveness comes from strength, clarity, and freedom from limitation. God reveals the opposite. Divine power is not merely compatible with weakness—it is perfected in it.

Paul’s response is breathtaking: “So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me” (v. 9). This is not resignation; it is revelation. Paul saw that his thorn was not sabotaging his ministry but safeguarding it. Weakness kept him dependent. Dependence kept him humble. And humility made room for Christ’s power.

Scripture echoes this principle everywhere. “The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17), yet often the rescue comes not by removal, but by presence. Isaiah records God’s promise: “I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Notice—God strengthens us in weakness rather than eliminating it.

Paul goes even further: “That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses… For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). This is humility fully matured. Pride resents weakness because it threatens self-sufficiency. 

Humility welcomes weakness because it exposes our need for God. 

Pride prays, “Make me strong.” Humility prays, “Make me dependent.” 

What if the very thing you keep asking God to remove is the thing keeping you close to Him? What if the thorn you resent is actually protecting you from self-reliance, spiritual arrogance, or misplaced confidence? Paul’s unanswered prayer did not mean God was absent—it meant God was intentional.

The gospel does not promise a thorn-free life. It promises sufficient grace. “Each time he said, ‘My grace is sufficient for you’” (v. 9). Grace does not always change circumstances, but it always sustains hearts. And sustained hearts become vessels of supernatural strength.

Identify the “thorn” you’ve been asking God to remove. This week, stop asking why it remains and start asking what God wants to reveal through it. Pray honestly: “Lord, if this weakness remains, teach me how Your power is being displayed through it.” Then look for ways your dependence on Him is deepening rather than diminishing.

Weakness resisted breeds frustration, but weakness surrendered becomes the doorway through which Christ’s power walks in.