How To Endure Life's Thorns And Find Strength

“I can’t handle this anymore! Lord, help me! I don’t know what to do.”

Have you ever prayed those desperate words, begging God to take away a painful situation in your life?

Paul did too.

Paul’s Thorn: A Picture of Endurance

Paul—one of the most influential apostles, who spread the gospel across the Roman Empire and wrote much of the New Testament—also faced something he couldn’t carry on his own.

He described his suffering as a thorn in the flesh—a painful, constant struggle that Satan used to torment him. And Paul didn’t just pray once. He pleaded with God three times to take it away.

“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.”
—2 Corinthians 12:7–8

But God didn’t remove it.

Instead, He responded with something greater:

“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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
—2 Corinthians 12:9

Paul’s thorn became the very place where God’s power rested and was made most visible. It didn’t go away—but it became a space where God’s grace showed up in full strength.

What We Learn From Paul’s Thorn

We may not know exactly what kind of thorn Paul struggled with, but we do know:

It didn’t go away.
It forced Paul to depend on the Holy Spirit.
It became the very place where God’s strength was made most visible.

When we reach the end of ourselves and the reality of our problems seems overwhelming, it’s time to remember:

God can handle what we can’t.
We can say, “I can’t handle this”—but God can!“
His power helps us endure and makes us stronger.

My Own Thorn: When God Met Me in the Middle of It

I’ve been living with my thorn for years.

I tried to embrace it and grow through it.
But the truth is — it felt like it was destroying me.

Like a stake driven deep, it tore at me both physically and emotionally.
I prayed. I cried. I begged God to take it away.

One Sunday, I walked into church completely worn down. I had been asking the Lord to speak to me—pleading for relief, some direction, some sign that I wasn’t alone.

At the end of the message, the pastor invited us to respond.
He said, “If you feel like you’re in a situation you can’t handle, would you raise your hand?”

With all eyes closed, I lifted my hands to the heavens, longing for some answers and hope.

And in that quiet moment, I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me through the pastor’s words:
“You can’t handle it… But God can. What thorn is the Lord asking you to handle today?”

God wasn’t telling me He would remove it.
But he was reminding me that I wasn’t carrying it alone.
That His grace was still enough.

The pastor prayed for healing. I left church that day with a sense of peace I hadn’t felt in a long time — a quiet shift in my heart I couldn’t fully explain.

And then, days later, something happened.
A shift. A breakthrough. A change in my circumstance that I knew — without question — was God.

It didn’t erase the thorn.
But it pointed toward restoration.

It was as if God whispered,
“I see you. I’m working. I’m healing. You’re not forgotten.”

There was still work ahead.
Still pain. Still growing.

But now, there was also hope.
The kind of hope that only comes when God moves in a way no one else can.

How the Holy Spirit Strengthens Us

The Holy Spirit doesn’t always deliver us from hardship, but He strengthens us through it. Here are several ways He helps us endure:

1. Comfort in the Middle of the Storm

He brings peace to our anxious thoughts and settles our hearts when life feels chaotic. (John 14:26–27)

2. Truth When Lies Attack

He reminds us of God’s promises and counters the lies the enemy whispers. (John 16:13)

3. Power Beyond Our Own Strength

He gives supernatural strength when we feel like we can’t take one more step. (Romans 8:26)

4. Patience to Keep Going

Patience is a fruit of the Spirit—and it’s more than waiting; it’s faithfulness under pressure. (Galatians 5:22–23)

5. Hope That Anchors Our Soul

He fills us with a hope that does not disappoint—even when our circumstances don’t change. (Romans 15:13)

When we feel like we can’t take another step, the Holy Spirit meets us at our breaking point.
He comforts, reminds us of the truth, and strengthens us from within.
He gives us the power to bear it without breaking.

Did you know that endurance is a form of patience, and patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit?
Patience is the faithfulness that endures under challenging circumstances and continues to follow God when things are hard.
Whatever hardship you are facing, as you remain faithful to God, you develop endurance, and patience grows.

We all face thorns—some small and irritating, others deep and painful. Sometimes they come from physical suffering, emotional wounds, betrayal, or spiritual battles.

What Thorn Are You Carrying?

Remember, you’re not carrying it alone.

God sees you.
His grace is enough.
His Spirit will sustain you.

Your thorn may not disappear overnight. But like Paul—and like me—you’ll find that God’s power rests on you in the middle of it.

A Question to Reflect On

What thorn in your life is God asking you to handle today, not in your strength, but in His?

A Prayer for Strength

Dear Lord,
We come to You with our brokenness. With our problems, trials, burdens, and heavy hearts. Jesus, we ask for healing. We know You have the power to restore us. But when You don’t take the pain away, we trust You will help us endure. Holy Spirit, when arrows are thrown at us, don’t let them destroy us. Strengthen our hearts. Remind us of the truth. Let Your power rest upon us. Help us handle what we cannot carry on our own. Show us the beauty of Your presence as we trust in You.

Amen.