21 Days of Prayer - Persevereናሙና

When You Fail

Have you ever failed? If you’re human, the answer is “yes.” While the Bible says we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), one character in particular sticks out in Scripture when it comes to failure. His name is Peter.

Peter was one of Jesus’s closest disciples. Among the twelve disciples, Peter was among the top three that Jesus confided in and performed certain miracles in front of. After Jesus’s death, Peter was responsible for building the Church and writing two books of the New Testament. Obviously, Peter was an important guy, and it was clear that Jesus loved and believed in him.

However, Peter did not accomplish these great things without some failures. In Luke 22, Jesus tells Peter (previously Simon) that he will deny Him. Even so, after he’s failed, he is to turn back and strengthen the other disciples. When Peter hears this, however, he immediately denies it (which is ironic when you think about it). Peter says he would never deny that he knows Jesus! Yet, Jesus says that the day won’t end until he has denied Him not once, not twice, but three times.

Of course, what Jesus said happens, and Peter is devastated. After he denies Jesus and realizes that he’s failed, the Bible says Peter “wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62). While Peter felt the weight and sting of failing, he didn’t let that stop him from accomplishing great things for the Lord. More importantly, God didn’t disqualify him for making a mistake; He restored Peter and instructed him to care for His people (John 21:15-19).

When (not if) you fail, it’s essential to persevere. Failure can make us feel like nothing matters, it’s a part of our identity, or it’s final--but we must remember that failure always has a purpose, that it’s not who we are in Christ. Restoration is always possible if we allow God to do a work in our lives. Don’t let failure keep you stuck; take responsibility for the mistake and feel the pain, but then move on. God has a mighty work for you to accomplish!

Emily N. Green

Prayer Point: Where have you failed? Ask God for forgiveness and pray that He will help you move forward with purpose.