Not by My Strength, But His ☘ St. Patrick's Breastplate

We can have hope, no matter if we wake to accusation or to celebration, because our God is with us— Stasi Eldredge An Abrupt Turn: Not by My Strength, But by His by Stasi Eldredge from Defiant Joy “St. Patrick’s Breastplate,” a powerful prayer attributed to Saint Patrick of Ireland, begins in this way:     I arise today     Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,     Through belief in the Threeness,     Through confession of the Oneness     of the Creator of creation.1 “I arise today through a mighty strength.” Oh, wouldn’t that be nice to say every morning? I want that to be true of me, but what is true for so many of us on too many mornings is “I arise today through a fog of forgetfulness.” We have to claw our way out of the cloying depths of unbelief back into the dawning light of truth and breath. Different mornings provide alternative options of discouragement. Thoughts that frequently take our hearts captive upon arising include:     It’s going to be a bad day.     I don’t want to get up.     You are a failure as a mother, father, friend...     You do not love well.     You are alone.     You are on the outside.     You are a selfish person.     This is all too hard.     And repeat.     Do you know what yours are? This morning, I arose through a veil of guilt and accusation. Today’s litany coming against me was a shorter version. The accuser was battering my heart with Failure. Failure. Failure. The crushing weight of shame was reinforced by memories (cruelly twisted but seemingly real interpretations) of my failings, evidence parading across my mind that I was not being a good friend, wife, or mother. But the prayer continues:     I arise today     Through the strength of Christ’s birth with His baptism,     Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,     Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,     Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.2 Wow. Well, okay then. We don’t arise through our strength to figure it out or to pull it off or to change or to become an amazing person who loves everyone at all times perfectly. We certainly don’t arise today by arguing ourselves and the oppressor of our souls out of accusation. We arise today and every day by turning our gaze onto Jesus and what He has accomplished for us — because we needed Him to accomplish it. We don’t arise today by our strength but by His. “St. Patrick’s Breastplate,” Our Catholic Prayers, last modified 2018, 1. “St. Patrick’s Breastplate.” 2. “St. Patrick’s Breastplate.” Excerpted with permission from Defiant Joy by Stasi Eldredge, copyright Stasi Eldredge. Hear from Stasi Eldredge about Defiant Joy WATCH * * * Your Turn Let’s take the discouragement that wakes with us and taunts us and take an abrupt turn away from it! Like St. Patrick we can pray Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me. He has covered us! Come share your thoughts with us on our blog. We want to hear from you! ~Devotionals Daily   COMMENT

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We are called to live! And with joy! Save 50% off this book from New York Times bestselling author Stasi Eldredge   Defiant Joy: Taking Hold of Hope, Beauty, and Life in a Hurting World List Price: $16.99 Sale Price: $8.50 (50% off) BUY NOW Bestselling author Stasi Eldredge shows readers how to choose a joy that stands against the tides of life's real and often overwhelming pain. We are called to live. And, miraculously, to live with joy. We all spend a lot of energy reaching for happiness, but we are never quite able to hang on to it. Real life happens, and our circumstances take us on an emotional rollercoaster ride. So the Bible’s call to “be joyful always” sounds almost crazy—and out of reach. But it doesn’t have to be. Joy is meant to be ours, a joy that is defiant in the face of this broken world. This joy is not simply happiness on steroids; it’s the unyielding belief that sorrow and loss do not have the final say. It’s the stubborn determination to be present to whatever may come and to interpret both goodness and grief by the light of heaven. In Defiant Joy, Stasi Eldredge invites us with courage, candor, and tender vulnerability to a place beyond sadness or happiness. She shows us how to maintain a posture of holy defiance that neither denies nor diminishes our pain but dares to live with expectant, unwavering hope.   What fellow readers are saying about Defiant Joy "What a wonderful book! So relatable as Stasi shares honestly from her heart. I’ve been in the “fake-it-till-you-make-it” mode for a while and this book is changing my perspective! (I haven’t finished it yet, but it’s already been a blessing!} I’m buying copies for others who could benefit." - Grace "This book helps you realize all that is available to us as daughters of God, heirs with Christ. We must chose to take hold of the fruit of His Spirit! Most days- we have to be downright “defiant” to the ways of this world that threaten our true identity. Very empowering read." -Sheli "Stasi is spot on, as she usually is, in the relaying of our human condition & the need to understand our God given right, as His daughters, to claim defiant joy! This is a must read " -Linda Learn more and save... Save 50% off companion study materials Unwavering Study Guide List Price: $12.99 Sale Price: $6.50   BUY NOW Unwavering Video Study   List Price: $29.99 Sale Price: $15.00   BUY NOW *Sale ends 03/31/20. Free U.S. shipping on orders over $25 (excluding Hawaii and Alaska).

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