Inner Strength Part 4
May 8, 2026
Inner Strength Part 4
What kind of strength do you long for? Is it courage? Endurance? The strength to face loss, illness, or the suffering of someone you love? Not having the strength we need is not a final verdict. Instead, it is an invitation. Yes, we are invited into a new experience that looks as if it will break us, but instead, it strengthens us.
If we cannot immediately find that strength, it does not mean it is absent. It means it is not yet discovered. Strength often lies beyond what we can currently see, feel, or even imagine. So, how do we find it?
We rarely search for strength we do not need. True strength is called forth when something in life demands it. For example, when our backs are against the wall, when we are at a breaking point, when life as we know it cannot continue unless something deeper within us awakens. That is when we need strength. And yet, think back…
There were moments you were certain you could not endure, and still, you endured. There were situations in which you believed you lacked courage, but you acted. There were seasons you thought would break you, and still, you remained intact.
Something in you rose to meet those moments. That “something” is your strength. It is in your depths where we find all the attributes of our soul. They are there just waiting to be accessed, taped, realized, and embodied.
At times, however, we can become overwhelmed. Negative thinking, low self-worth, guilt, and shame can cloud our vision, leading us to believe we are undeserving or incapable. When we believe these voices, our world narrows. Our possibilities shrink. We may never take the next step toward discovering the strength that is already within our souls’ depths.
While extreme circumstances can reveal our strength quickly, emergencies are not the only times that call forth our strength. There can be a long, steady call for strength. I know a wonderful person who needed a certain kind of strength for years. They were sexually abused as a child by a family member. Long after the years of molestation were over, the effects lasted and tainted everything in their lives. It brought shame and self-disgust, and mostly intense anger against the perpetrator, who other family members and the entire community ironically worshiped. This dear soul kept silent because they did not think they had the right or the strength to deal with their abuse. But they kept reaching for their strength. Though it took time and inner work, they discovered their immense innate power and that shifted everything.
We too can seek and discover it. To do that, we must first believe that we are worthy of a full and meaningful life—and therefore worthy of the strength required to live it. This could take time, and it could mean gaining spiritual assistance. One of the most powerful ways to access this strength is to ask for it. We can ask the Divine to reveal our strength to us. It may come in a flash, but often, it comes through discovery. It may be revealed to us directly from God, as God teaches us through nature, relationships, loss, and a myriad of situations. Also, it may come through someone who knows us, cares for us, and who can work with us.
In the process of discovery, God, shows us things we needed to come to terms with other issues such as resentments, false beliefs about ourselves, and denials that need to be worked through before the strength can fully manifest.
Prayer is one of the most powerful ways to ask for strength. It is not weakness; it is alignment. It engages our highest self and opens us to a greater awareness. In that expanded space, we begin to see more clearly, feel more deeply, and understand more truthfully. In the posture of asking, we do not deny our limitations—we acknowledge and then transcend them. Prayer simply asks for God’s care and love, and it makes us more sensitive to them.
We affirm that strength is not something we must manufacture by ourselves, but something we are connected to. We are tethered to a deeper, divine source of strength. And in that connection, we discover what has always been ours: a steady, resilient, unwavering strength that is ready to meet whatever comes.
Spiritual practice: What do you need strength for? Pray for it. Journal your prayer and make a note in your journal to see any results of your prayer after one month has elapsed. What happened?
Self-inquiry: Why is discovering our strength frequently a journey?
Prayer:
Dear God, Today, I ask for strength in all that I do. I realize it is already there, but I need you to show it to me. Amen
