A Thorn in the flesh

The term "a thorn in the flesh" comes from the apostle Paul who wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:7 [AMP] "Because of the surpassing greatness and extraordinary nature of the revelations [which I received from God], for this reason, to keep me from thinking of myself as important, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, to torment and harass me - to keep me from exalting myself!" We are not told what this thorn is however, the best possible explanation I have read so far is that Paul could have been plagued by guilt from his past life as a persecutor of the early Christians and that the "guilt" is brought on by "the accuser" which is satan (read here) 

So what is this thorn anyway?

I believe that a thorn in the flesh can be a weakness or anything that can cause you to sin or which can negatively affect your body and soul (a good way to understand the "human design" is in the image below from an article called: Spirit, Soul and Body

A thorn could then be described (in my own opinion) as things like: guilt, shame, doubt, fear and of course what is known as the seven deadly sins: lust, envy, pride, gluttony, greed, sloth and wrath. Now with sin it is important to understand that the devil does tempt you and that you could quite possibly have a spirit/demon tormenting you (please read more about spirits here) The emotions mentioned are things we possibly manifest in our mind which later becomes a heavy burden we carry around in our hearts, a thorn in the flesh. 

A personal thorn as an example and what led me to write about it...

I was walking in a shopping center after the strict Covid-19 restrictions the other day and as I was navigating my way to the desired store, I found myself looking at a woman I would consider good looking, for longer than what I am meant to (the definition could be that I was staring) Then it dawned on me, or probably most suitable that the Holy Spirit convicted me, that I had a quite obvious "thorn" and if left unchecked, could lead to sin. I thank God for this revelation, because I know that I have a weakness and can guarantee you that satan knows it too. Fortunately by identifying this weakness I can do something about it and the best place to start is to pray about it and to give it to God. Do this continuously!

Should you wish to pray a prayer that works, please visit www.wildatheart.org and visit there prayers page or alternatively click HERE! Pray everyone but most of all, pray the one about sexual healing!

Have you identified any thorn/s in your flesh?

There are two scriptures I would like to bring to your attention here and the one is regarding Temptation:

Mark 14:38 [AMP] "Keep [actively] watching and praying so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

Be on the lookout and be aware of temptation, because it is all around us, everywhere you go, there temptation will be. Capture every thought and discern its origin and only then, once you are certain that it is not from satan, let it "bear fruit".

The second scripture is Paul telling us that he indeed did ask God to take away the thorn and what God's response was (with a caveat):

2 Corinthians 12:8-9 [AMP] "Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me; 9 but He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough-always available-regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness." Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weakness, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] and may dwell in me."

Note: When you have accepted Jesus into your life, you are meant to be free from all these negative emotions, albeit it takes effort and diligence, God can't help you if you keep holding on to the hurt and the guilt. You must surrender all to God.

Ever wondered what Mercy is or how to explain it?

Say you are a parent and your child was murdered; Justice would be if the person is caught and follows the Judiciary System; Grace would be if you forgive the murderer; Mercy would be if you got up in court and pleaded to the Jury and the Judge that the person should be set free. I can't recall where I heard it, but it sure made a lot of sense to me and I hope it can help you too.

PRAYER

Father God, hear my voice as I praise Your Holy Name. 

You are Jehovah-Uzzi, The Lord my Strength!

Lord Jesus, You know of my weaknesses and the temptation I face,

as You too were subject to temptation and weakness yet you did not sin.

I ask, as David wrote in Psalms 119:133 "Establish my footsteps in Your Word; 

Do not let any human weakness have power over me."

I submit to You dear Lord and ask for the strength and power to resist the devil.

I pray this in Jesus' Name. Amen