Closed Hands: Why You’re Blocking God’s Blessings

Many of us know how to work for God better than we know how to receive from Him.We pray for help, provision, healing, rest, and support, yet when God answers through another person or in a way we did not expect, we may pull back. Receiving can make us feel vulnerable. It can challenge our pride, our need for control, and the belief that we must earn everything we are given.In this episode of Grit and Grace with Tonya Bruton, we are talking about why receiving can feel so uncomfortable and what it means to trust God enough to open our hands.Through the story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5, we see how easily our expectations can stand between us and what God wants to give. Naaman nearly walked away from his healing because the answer did not come through the method he expected. His breakthrough began when he humbled himself and received.We will also look at the difference between striving and faith, why grace cannot be earned, and how receiving help, love, rest, and support can become an act of trust in God.Scriptures discussed include:2 Kings 5Galatians 3:3Matthew 11:28–30Romans 8:32Ephesians 2:8–9God’s grace is already extended. The question is whether we will keep our hands closed or trust Him enough to receive what He freely gives.Read the companion blog post, “Exhausted by Excellence: Learning to Drop the Hustle and Receive God’s Rest,” at TonyaBruton.com/blog.Subscribe to Grit and Grace with Tonya Bruton and share this episode with someone who may be tired of trying to earn what God desires to give by grace.Support the ministry through Venmo: @tonya-bruton