Be Still. Breathe. “Come, Holy Spirit.” Become aware of God’s Spirit with you.
Read the passage slowly.
7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
What word/phrase stands out? What invitation is the Spirit highlighting?
Name one area where you feel weak today. Invite the Spirit to rest His power there.
Replace self-reliance with this prayer: “Your grace is enough for me.”
Ash Wednesday
Today is Ash Wednesday, the day that marks the beginning of Lent. In some Christian traditions, ash is used to mark believers’ foreheads as a sign. Ash Wednesday begins the gentle road to Easter. It reminds us we’re dust yet dearly loved. The ash-cross says, “I’m fragile, I’ve wandered, and I’m coming home to Jesus.” This day isn’t about looking gloomy; it’s about getting honest so grace can go to work.
The Bible’s thread is simple: we are mortal (Gen 3), we turn back with humble hearts (Joel 2), and we seek the Father in secret (Matt 6). Ashes aren’t a trophy; they’re a whisper of surrender. Because they’re shaped like a cross, our repentance leans on Christ, not on our effort.
Keep it simple today. Sit with Psalm 51 or Matthew 6 and let a line become your prayer: “Create in me a clean heart.” Name one sin of thought, one of word, one of deed and one habit to unlearn this Lent. Attend the upcoming Deeper Wells Experience (21 Feb). Choose a small fast (a meal, your favourite CNY goodies or sweets, or screens after dinner) and turn the saved time or money into kindness for someone in need. Set one gentle rule for Lent: ten quiet minutes with Jesus each morning, a short Gospel reading with one act of obedience, or one deliberate kindness a day.
May this Ash Wednesday mark a fresh beginning, light on your shoulders, hope in your bones, and the Spirit leading you step by step.
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