Commands, Promises, and Prayer

We often lose heart in discouragements because we do not look beyond ourselves.  God humbles us with much weakness to move us to pray.  What is hard to human nature is easy to God's Spirit.  God requires such obedience as is above our own strength, but not above the power of His grace.  When He commands anything beyond our ability, it is to bring us to our knees for grace.  Every command is also a promise that God will give the strength required to obey the command.  The Lord will pour out His grace in answer to prayer.  That is the unique dynamic of biblical Christianity.  Thomas Manton, The Epistle of James