Day 1: God, I Don’t Have What It Takes

Scripture: Exodus 16:6

The Israelites were experts at fear. I mean, these people literally watched the Red Sea split in half. Walls of water standing at attention like God Himself told gravity to take a seat. They walked through on dry ground. They watched their enemies get swallowed up behind them. This is front-row, miracle-on-miracle stuff. And then what happens?

By lunchtime the next day they’re crying about carbs.

“No bread, Moses! We’re gonna die!”

Really? After everything God just did?

But before we judge them too hard… let’s be honest. We do the exact same thing.

God has carried us through storms we didn’t think we’d survive. He’s healed things in us no one else could touch. He’s opened doors we never could’ve forced open. But the moment our tank feels empty again? The moment something feels uncertain? We panic. We default back to fear like it’s our native language.

And in Exodus 16, God basically says,“Hey! Once again, you’re going to know it was Me who brought you out. Not your hustle. Not your bank account. Not your personality. Me.”

Because sometimes the prayer He wants from you isn’t some strong, polished, Christian-sounding speech. Sometimes the prayer He’s waiting for is the one we’re almost embarrassed to admit: “God… I don’t have what it takes.”

And God says, “Finally. Now we can start.”

Because that’s where faith begins. Not when you feel strong, but when you finally admit you’re not. That’s when God steps in. That’s when His presence becomes real. That’s when the manna starts falling.

Application:

Write down one area where you feel like you’re running on empty. Name it. Don’t sugarcoat it. Tell God exactly what you don’t have.

Prayer:

Lord, I don’t have what it takes… and You know that. Remind me that You’re the One who brought me through before, and You’ll do it again. I trust You with the place where I feel weak and worn out. Strengthen me today. Amen.

Day 2: God I’m Tired of Pretending

Scripture: Psalm 51:6

God’s not impressed by pretend. He’s not sitting up in heaven going, “Wow, look at that perfect church voice… nailed it.” He’s not applauding your ability to hold it together, fake a smile, or give the Christian answer you think He wants to hear.

He wants you. The real you. The one behind the smile. The one behind the “I’m fine.”The one who’s tired of trying to impress people and terrified of disappointing them.

That you.

David wrote this psalm. The man after God’s own heart… who also blew up his life in a way that would’ve gotten most of us fired, unfriended, and probably never welcomed back at church. But here’s the difference: David didn’t pretend. He didn’t hide behind image management. He didn’t go into PR mode.

He dropped the act.

He told the truth.

He got raw with God.

And God called that beautiful. Not the perfection. Not the polish. The honesty.

And maybe… just maybe… the reason God feels distant to you right now isn’t because He moved. It’s because you’ve been handing Him the edited version of yourself. The “good Christian” draft. The version you think He can handle instead of the one that actually needs Him.

Honest prayer, unfiltered, unedited, “here’s where I really am,” that’s the doorway back.

That’s where intimacy starts.

That’s where the wall comes down.

That’s where God meets you every single time.

Application:

Tell God one thing you’ve been pretending about. Something you haven’t said because you’re ashamed, afraid, or don’t want to face it.

Prayer:

God, I’m tired of pretending. You already know what’s in me. Help me tell the truth—to You and to myself. Meet me in the honest places and heal what’s broken. Amen.

Day 3: God, I Trust You With What’s Next

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5–6

Most of us are totally cool with trusting God… as long as He basically does what we were already planning. Like, “Lord, I trust You… and by ‘trust’ I mean please bless my timeline, my strategy, and my idea of how this should all play out.”

But let’s be honest, that’s not trust. That’s asking God to sign off on your blueprint. That’s keeping one hand on the steering wheel and pretending you’re letting Him drive.

Israel had to learn this the hard way. They didn’t get to choose the route out of Egypt. They didn’t get to design the miracle. They didn’t get to set the timetable. They didn’t get to say, “Hey God, could You maybe do the Red Sea thing tomorrow instead?”

Nope.

They weren’t in charge of the timing, the plan, or the provision. God was. And spoiler alert: He still is.

Real prayer, biblical prayer, doesn’t say, “God, show me the whole path so I feel better.” Real prayer says, “I don’t have to see everything. I just need to know You’re actually here.”

Some of you are waiting to trust God until your questions get answered, until the anxiety dies down, until you can see ten steps ahead. But that’s not how faith works. If you wait for clarity, you’ll never move. If you wait for certainty, you’ll never obey. If you wait to “feel ready,” you’ll be stuck forever.

You don’t need clarity to obey God. You don’t need a five-year plan to walk with Him. You just need trust. Real trust. The kind that lets go of the wheel and says, “God, wherever You’re leading… I’m going.”

That’s where freedom is. That’s where peace is. That’s where God meets you: in the steps of faith you take before you see the whole picture.

Application:

Where in your life are you demanding clarity before obedience? Name one step of trust you can take today, even if it’s small.

Prayer:

Lord, I trust You with what’s next. I give You the plans I can’t control, the timing I don’t understand, and the future I can’t see. Lead me, and I will follow. Amen.

Following Jesus was never supposed to be some polished performance where you pretend you’ve got it all together and hope God doesn’t notice the cracks. That’s religion. That’s image management. And it will wear you out.

Jesus didn’t die and rise again so you could fake your way through life. He wants a relationship. A real one. And real relationships don’t thrive on perfection; they grow through honesty, vulnerability, and showing up even when you don’t feel holy or ready or “enough.”

So my prayer for you, after these three days, is simple: I hope something in you loosened. I hope a wall came down. I hope there’s a spot in your heart that cracked open just enough for God to slip in a little deeper than before.

Because that’s how it works. Not in big dramatic moments, but in those little honest ones where you finally say, “Lord… here’s the truth. Here’s what I really feel. Here’s what I can’t carry anymore.”

So keep praying the real stuff, not the edited version.

Keep showing up, not the cleaned-up version.

Keep trusting Him with what you don’t have, what you can’t fix, and what you can’t see yet.

And hear me on this: God is not tired of you. He’s not rolling His eyes. He’s not disappointed in how slow you think you’re growing. He’s a Father who delights in you. Even in the struggle, even in the questions, even in the mess you think disqualifies you.

And He’s not done with you. Not even close. The same God who brought you out of the last thing you didn’t think you’d survive… is the same God who’s going to bring you through the next thing.

Because that’s who He is: Faithful. Strong. Patient. Present.

And absolutely committed to finishing what He started in you.