Risen Life Day #21: Power Over Brokenness
“Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.'” — Acts 3:6 (NIV)
THE JOURNEY
For years, Daniel felt stuck.
Not physically—but internally.
A betrayal from someone he trusted deeply had left a wound that never seemed to heal. He moved forward with life, but the pain lingered beneath the surface. It showed up in subtle ways—difficulty trusting others, guarded conversations, and a quiet bitterness he couldn’t fully shake.
He prayed about it.
More than once.
But nothing seemed to change.
So eventually, he stopped expecting anything to.
“This is just something I have to live with,” he told himself.
One evening, during a midweek service, the speaker talked about the story in Acts 3—the lame man who had been sitting at the temple gate for years. Not days. Not weeks. Years.
Daniel leaned in.
The man wasn’t waiting for healing.
He was expecting survival.
Alms.
Coins.
Enough to get through another day.
But Peter didn’t give him what he expected.
He gave him something greater.
“In the name of Jesus Christ… walk.”
The man didn’t just receive help.
He was restored.
Daniel sat still as the realization settled in:
He had lowered his expectations.
He wasn’t bringing his brokenness to God anymore—he was managing it.
That night, for the first time in a long time, Daniel prayed differently.
Not casually.
Not resigned.
But honestly.
“Lord, I don’t want to just live with this. Heal what I’ve been carrying.”
The healing didn’t happen instantly.
But something began.
A softening.
A release.
A shift.
And over time, what once defined him began to lose its grip.
Heart of the Matter
Acts 3 introduces us to a man who had been broken for a long time.
He sat at the temple gate daily—placed there by others, dependent on the generosity of strangers just to survive.
His world was limited.
His expectations were small.
His condition felt permanent.
Then Peter and John arrive.
The man asks for money.
But Peter responds with something unexpected:
“What I do have I give you.”
And with that, resurrection power is released.
The man stands.
He walks.
He leaps.
He enters the temple—fully restored.
This moment reveals a powerful truth about the Risen Life:
Brokenness may be real—but it is not final.
Many of us live like the man at the gate.
Not because we don’t believe in God—
but because we’ve adjusted to our brokenness.
We stop expecting healing.
We learn to cope instead of seek restoration.
We survive instead of believing for change.
But the resurrection changes what is possible.
Here is the dynamic of the Risen Life:
You love God by bringing your brokenness honestly before Him instead of settling for survival.
You refuse to normalize pain that He has the power to restore.
He loves you back by meeting you in your broken place with His power—bringing healing, restoration, or the strength to overcome.
The same power that raised Christ from the dead is still at work today.
Not every healing looks the same.
Some are instant.
Some are gradual.
Some are internal before they become visible.
But this remains true:
No brokenness is beyond the reach of the risen Christ.
Faith in Action
Healing begins with honesty.
The Challenge:
Identify one area of brokenness in your life.
It could be:
• an emotional wound
• a pattern you feel stuck in
• a relationship that feels damaged
• a burden you’ve learned to carry
Write it down.
Then pray this simple but powerful prayer:
“Jesus, I bring this to You. I refuse to settle for survival. I invite Your healing into this place.”
Take one step of faith:
• talk to someone you trust
• seek help where needed
• spend intentional time in prayer
• meditate on God’s promises
Write this declaration:
“This is not beyond the power of the risen Christ.”
Prayer for the Day
Risen Lord, You see every place in my life that is broken, wounded, or weary. Nothing is hidden from You. Forgive me for the times I have stopped expecting healing and settled into survival. Today, I bring my brokenness to You—not with fear, but with faith. I believe that Your resurrection power is still at work. Touch the places in me that need restoration. Heal what has been wounded, strengthen what is weak, and renew what feels worn down. Thank You that nothing in my life is beyond Your reach. In Your name, Amen.
VICTORY Note
“There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.” — Corrie ten Boom