# When God Doesn’t Remove the Thing You Begged Him to Change

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-best-of-you-5434878/when-god-doesn-t-remove-the-thing-you-begged-him-to-change
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-best-of-you-5434878/when-god-doesn-t-remove-the-thing-you-begged-him-to-change.md
Podcast: [The Best of You](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-best-of-you-5434878)
Published: 2026-07-03T08:09:00+00:00
Episode link: https://pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/arttrk.com/p/TSFL1/claritaspod.com/measure/traffic.megaphone.fm/AMPH6409672809.mp3
Audio file: https://pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/arttrk.com/p/TSFL1/claritaspod.com/measure/traffic.megaphone.fm/AMPH6409672809.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-best-of-you-5434878/episodes/when-god-doesn-t-remove-the-thing-you-begged-him-to-change
Duration seconds: 624

## Resource

Today's Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:7–10 **Today's devotional is in response to listener requests.**What do you do when you’ve prayed for something to change—and it still hasn’t? In today’s episode, Dr. Alison reflects on one of the most uncomfortable passages in the New Testament: Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Paul pleads with God three times for it to be removed, and God does not remove it. Instead, God gives him a promise: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” We explore: *Why unresolved pain can feel so hard to carry*What Paul’s thorn teaches us about weakness and grace*The difference between acceptance and resignation*How fighting what cannot be changed can compound suffering*What it means for Christ’s power to “rest” on us in weakness Go Deeper: Episode 208: Spiritual Dryness, Burnout, and the Desert Seasons of Faith with Tish Harrison Warren Read I Shouldn’t Feel This Way to learn more about naming what’s hard and discerning whether to change it, leave it, or suffer wisely Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support. While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-best-of-you-5434878/episodes/when-god-doesn-t-remove-the-thing-you-begged-him-to-change/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-best-of-you-5434878/when-god-doesn-t-remove-the-thing-you-begged-him-to-change.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.