Letting Grace Define Your Story
Your Nightly Prayer
by Clarence Haynes Jr.
TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE
“Where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” – Romans 5:20
SOMETHING TO PONDER
When you study the characters of the Bible, especially the people God used in mighty ways, there is one thing most of them had in common. On their journey, at some point, they failed miserably. For most, their failures did not come before God called them or used them, but after. Here are some examples:
-Abraham, the father of the faith, twice lied and called Sarah his sister, lost hope, and slept with Hagar to attempt to bring forth a son to fulfill God’s promise to him.
-Jacob deceived his brother Esau out of his birthright.
-Moses got angry with the Israelites and struck the rock a second time after God told him to speak to it.
-Rahab was a prostitute who hid the Israelite spies.
-David committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband.
-Peter denied Jesus three times.
-Paul killed Christians.
The names listed above are iconic in the halls of faith. We often stand amazed at what these people accomplished for God, often in the face of extreme challenges. Yet, when we dig deeper, we see that there were simply imperfect people who were used by a perfect God to accomplish what he desired them to do. My friends, that is exactly what grace is.
Grace that works despite…
If I were telling the story of heroes of the faith, I would probably leave the failing parts out. After all, why do we need to tell that part of the story, anyway? The reason God tells the story is that it gives you and me hope. God did not use these people because of who they were but despite who they were.
The stories of your life and mine are no different. You have failed and made poor choices, and so have I, more than I can count. Yet what you discover is that God doesn’t kick you aside because of the mistakes and past failures in your life. If he did, none of us would be left standing or available for use. Instead, the places of your greatest failure can become the places of your greatest growth because you experience the greatest amount of his grace.
There is no sin, mistake, or failure that is too great for God’s grace to cover. If God can take a murderer and turn him into the greatest apostle, then there is hope for all of us. God’s grace specializes in taking sinners and turning them into something they could never be on their own. That is God’s love on display, his compassion on display, and his grace on display. Remember, not because of who you are but despite who you are.
Grace does not cancel but restores
We live in the age of cancel culture. At least in baseball, you get three strikes before you are out, but today, you may only get one. That is the culture of the world and, sadly, of some in the church as well. That is not God’s character. Romans tells us, where sin increases, grace increases even more. This means that God’s grace is not intimidated by your sin or failure, but it is there to help you overcome it. In fact, God’s grace exists to deal with the failures in our lives. My friend, if you are wrestling with the things you have done, thinking God is done with you, rest assured, he is not. His love is too great and his reservoirs of grace run too deep to leave you where you are. I encourage you today to bring all your sins, failures, and mistakes to him and allow his grace to heal you. Regardless of what you have done, he is not here to cancel you but to restore you. When you grasp that, then you will understand what grace is all about.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Father,
I come before you, weighed down by my past mistakes. As much as I try, I can’t seem to let them go. I have allowed them to define me and cannot get past them. Tonight, I pray for a fresh revelation of your grace that lets me know you have not forsaken me and that you love me as much today as you ever have. I pray you would allow your grace to heal those past failures and allow me to walk in the freedom that comes from your grace. I repent and receive your forgiveness and move forward knowing your grace is more than sufficient for me.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. You don’t stand in Christ in your own strength, but in the power of his grace.
2. Grace is a reminder that we were never worthy to begin with, so don’t think you have to try to be worthy now.
3. Rather than focusing on your inefficiencies, focus on the sufficiency of His grace.
Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Helena Cook
He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose, which helps readers understand how God leads them into his will, and the author of The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. Clarence is also committed to helping 10,000 people learn how to study the Bible and has released his first course, Bible Study Basics, to achieve that goal. To learn more about his ministry and resources, please visit clarencehaynes.com.
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Originally published Friday, 06 February 2026.
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