have you ever felt desperate for change, yet powerless to make it last? You tell yourself, don’t you,“This time it will be different.” But the same patterns keep circling back. You end up weary, ashamed, and wondering if real change is even possible. Hi, I’m Rob Westwood-Payne, a Salvation Army officer, and welcome to the Battle Drill Daily Devotional. Here’s the hope. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5, verse 6: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” Now that isn’t just a nice thought—it’s a call to holy desperation. We all know what it feels like to be stuck. Maybe it’s a habit that you’ve tried to break, a flaw that you keep covering up, or a cycle of conflict that just won’t quit. Like Jacob, we wrestle with our weaknesses. His whole life was marked by trickery and escape—lying to his brother, deceiving his father, running from his past. And then one night, by the Jabbok River, he found himself wrestling not with people, but with God himself. Genesis chapter 32, verse 26 records Jacob’s desperate cry:“I will not let you go unless you bless me.” That moment of clinging—that holy desperation—was the turning point. Here’s the promise: when you hunger and thirst for righteousness, when you refuse to let go until God blesses you, he meets you in that place. Jacob walked away with a limp, but he also walked away with a new name—Israel. From deceiver to God-mastered man, from schemer to the father of a nation. And God makes you the very same promise. If you come to him hungry, he will fill you. If you thirst for his righteousness, he will satisfy you. If you cling to him—if you refuse to let go—then he will bless you. So how does God use this desperation to transform us? First, he strips away our illusions of control. Jacob couldn’t manipulate his way through this struggle, and neither can we. Second, he calls us to honesty—to say out loud, “Lord, I can’t fix this myself. I need you.” It’s that confession that breaks the grip of denial. And third, he gives us a new identity. Like Jacob, you may carry scars or even a limp, but those reminders become testimonies of grace. They point to God’s power at work, not your strength. So what’s our part? Three simple steps.

cling to God. Pray Jacob’s prayer: “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Hold on, even in the struggle.

confess openly. Name the flaw. Name the habit. Name the fear. Honesty is where healing begins.

Stay hungry. Don’t settle for surface comfort. Keep thirsting for righteousness, and trust that God will satisfy. And the payoff? It’s transformation. The change you long for isn’t manufactured by your willpower—it’s given by God’s grace. He blesses those who hold on. He reshapes our hearts. He rewrites our stories. And he creates new identities. So don’t walk away hungry today. Don’t give up when the night feels long. Hold on to God until the dawn breaks.

“I will not let you go unless you bless me.” If this devotional encouraged you today, then please like it so others searching for Christian encouragement and daily Bible teaching can find it, and drop the words I won’t let go in the comments. It could be the reminder that someone else scrolling by needs right now. And don’t forget to subscribe to the Battle Drill Daily Devotional for more short, powerful devotionals every week. Now let’s pray together for the last time this week. Lord, I hunger and thirst for your righteousness. Don’t let me settle for less. Change my heart. Remove my flaws and bless me with your new life. Amen. As we come to the close of this week, remember this: desperation isn’t defeat—it’s the doorway to blessing. Don’t let go until God blesses you. And in the meantime, stay strong, stay surrendered, and stay battle ready. God bless you. Thanks so much for watching Battle Drill Daily Devotional. If you found today’s message helpful, please like, share, and subscribe so we can keep bringing daily encouragement to more people. And for more devotionals and resources, head over to battledrilldevotional.com. Stay strong, and stay battle ready.