Ah,
Sovereign Lord, You have made
the
heavens and the earth by Your
great
power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for
you.
Jeremiah
32:17
Thoughts~
Several years ago, I questioned God. If You can create
the heavens and the earth, why are You not helping me? If nothing is too hard
for You, then why aren’t You answering my prayer? Am I praying selfishly or is
my request totally out of Your will? And how do I know the difference? Do I
keep waiting forever, change my prayer or give up? I had questions then, have
had them over the years and have them still today. And God has shown me an
answer in a simple way.
No matter where we are in our walk with the Lord, those
questions quietly sneak into our thoughts at times. I use to feel guilty before
the Lord when I questioned Him; then I studied Job in detail. That man
questioned God more than David did, I think. I soon realized that it is okay to
question God as long as I show respect, reverence and honesty. I now ask Him to
help me understand His ways. And I ask Him a couple of questions when He is not
answering a prayer request after a certain amount of time has gone by.
1. God, do You need to change my heart?
2. God, is my
situation being used for Your glory?
These two questions have helped me immensely because
God always
answers these. Nothing is too hard for Him, but, just because I want something
to happen, doesn’t mean it is best for me and the countless others who would be
affected by my request.
Sometimes I’m vague in my writing in order to encourage
others in their particular situation. But today I will be specific.
In 2010 I prayed that my income would be restored like
it was pre-recession. God did not answer that prayer even though it would have
been easy for Him to. So, I asked Him to change my heart. And He did. He
redirected me, encouraging me to go back to college to get my degree in Social
Work. On top of that, He enabled me to use free time I had never had available before,
to begin my ministry “Trust in the Lord.” He even took people that were toxic
out of my life so I could devote myself to both ministry and school. Had I been
given my pre-recession income, which would mean a 40 hour work weeks and a lot
of hectic days and stress, I would not have had time for either of the new
directions God wanted me in. He showed me that His new direction was where He
wants me to be right now.
Because God has a perfect will for our lives, He will orchestrate
everything for our very best . . . and for His glory.
Action~
Be specific in your prayer requests. Don’t ask for a
job, but ask for a particular job. If God does not answer you, ask Him the two
questions. And wait for His answer. Trusting God for the best answer is
liberating and gives us freedom from anxiety. Trusting Him is a life style that
just can’t be beat.
Pray~
Lord because I know nothing is too hard for you, I ask
that You will answer my request for ____________. If my request does not line
up with Your will for my life, please change my heart. And Lord, please teach
me to be patient as I wait on You.
Trusting in Him,
Becky
Thanks, Becky. Sometimes trust is something easier said than done. It's easier to be impatient when prayers don't seem to be getting answered. I appreciate your daily trust reminders.
ReplyDeleteOh Diane, I hear you! It's that patient thing, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteBecky, it may sound a little mean but I am so glad God didn't answer your prayer to restore your pre-recession income... i am so happy you were able to create and maintain this ministry it has been a blessing and a huge helping hand to me personally... Through you He has brought me answers. so I thank you and encourage you to keep doing this wonderful work you are doing... it is appreciated very much... you have helped save at least one soul...
ReplyDelete