The subject for today, friends, is very simply that of bananas. Whenever I was a teenager, I used to eat at least one or two, maybe even sometimes three bananas a day. Kind of sickened myself with them, but bananas are good, they're easily carried, and they're full of different vitamins and minerals, things like potassium. So bananas are good for you, give you plenty of energy as well. Just holding these bananas in my hand here, remember years ago there was a preacher came a hall in Lisbon. He was about six foot eight tall. He was from America. He had a huge big frame and at the end of the meeting he put out his hand to shake mine and his fingers were so big it was like shaking hands with a bunch of bananas. But the banana tree is quite an unusual tree. It's very, very unique. It's slender, it looks weak, it looks frail, but the banana tree is in fact one of the strongest and most resilient of all trees. It looks weak as we say, but the banana tree can withstand hurricanes, tornadoes, typhoons, intense storms, even fire. It can be cut into small pieces and will ultimately sprout again and take root and bear fruit again. So it's a very, very resilient tree. The only way to stop a banana tree producing bananas, I'm told, is to uproot it. completely. They're a strong, resilient tree, but the reality is that they do look very frail and they do look very weak. Now in 2 Corinthians chapter 12, the Apostle Paul talks about a very unique experience that I believe is exclusive to him. New Testament times he was caught up into the third heaven and he saw things there and heard things there that it was not lawful for him to speak of. He was highly privileged and yet he says lest I should be exalted above measure there was given to me the messenger of Satan to buffet me and he speaks about a thorn in the flesh. Now some people differ as to what that thorn in the flesh might have been but evidently it was some type of physical impairment that caused them pain. discomfort and suffering. Some people think it was perhaps his eyesight writing to one of the churches. He says that if they had been able, they'd have plucked out their eyes and given them to Paul. If you look at the end of some of Paul's letters, while they were written by Paul in a technical sense, they were penned by somebody else. So Paul dictated those letters verbally to certain individuals who wrote down the words. And some people believe the reason for that was because of Paul's eyesight but nevertheless Paul prayed about this And he besought the Lord thrice. Three times he prayed that God would remove this thorn in the flesh. There's nothing wrong with repeating our prayers. There's nothing wrong with using the same prayer more than once. In fact, in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Bible, if you study the Gospels, the Bible declares that the Lord Jesus Christ himself in the Garden of Gethsemane, as he prayed over that cup, prayed the same words three times. And so it was with the Apostle Paul. There's nothing wrong with repetition. The problem is with vain repetition. Whenever we're not meaning what we say and it's just hollow, empty, meaningless words. But nevertheless, Paul besought the Lord and prayed that God would remove this thorn in the flesh And the Lord answered his prayer, but not in the way that Paul anticipated. Paul did not experience divine healing. In fact, there are quite a number of people, if you study the Word of God, even in the New Testament, who were unwell, who were sick, who did not experience divine healing. Paul was one of them. But Paul experienced answers to that prayer. Because in verse number 9, God said, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, while I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me, I take pleasure in infirmities, reproaches, and necessities, and persecutions, and distresses for Christ's sake, for when I am weak, then am I strong. Paul began to rejoice in that thorn in the flesh. He began to thank God for it because he proved God in a way that he had never proved him before. And he said at the end of the little reading there, when I am weak, then I am strong. And the banana tree looks weak, but it is in fact very strong. very strong. And so it was with the Apostle Paul. The Bible says that his bodily presence was weak and his speech was contemptible, but at the same time Paul was a man infilled and anointed and endued with the power of the Spirit of God. He was able to testify that his preaching was in the power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit. Maybe today you're weak physically, mentally, emotionally and maybe even in a sense spiritually but the Word of God promises, ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me and God is able to make his strength perfect in your weakness. So may God encourage you today, challenge you and bless you richly. Thank you for joining us and we will see you again next time.