You've been praying for a promotion at work because you can't make ends meet.
You've asked God continually to tell you "yes" about a big life decision you need to make.
You've been asking for Him to reveal Himself to you.
And it's not happening.
You know Jesus, you believe in God, and you know He's always with you. But...that's the thing, right now, you can't feel Him. You aren't seeing Him, you aren't hearing Him, and you just don't get how He fits into the confusion you feel like your life is in. You ask Him to show Himself, you say, "God, I need you!" but He's just not answering. Why is He not answering?
Maybe it's not time yet for Him to grant you what you're asking for.
Maybe you're asking for the wrong thing.
If you can't see Him, maybe you're not looking hard enough.
God's timing is not the same as ours.
"But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." - 2nd Peter 3:8-9
This passage is talking about the return of the Lord, however, it also explains that God doesn't work by our clock. He's not dragging His heels or making excuses. He's merely working in His own time because He's God and He can, and ultimately, His timing is perfect. (Not to mention that He doesn't even live in the realm of time.) So many times, I've asked the Lord for something over and over again, yet it just wasn't happening. However, when I look back at those times now, I can see that had He given me what I wanted then, it would not have been good for me. However, He gave me exactly what I was asking for much later, and it turned out to be an incredible blessing. Maybe He will answer your prayer and give you what you're requesting. But, maybe He won't do it yet. There's truth in that little saying "all in good time". Just be patient, and wait for His good time. Perhaps He's making you wait because He knows you need a lesson in patience...(*Holly preaches to herself*)
Are you asking for His will to be done, or for yours?
However, patience may not be all that's needed; you may need to completely change what you're asking for. Even if it seems like you're asking for a perfectly normal thing, like peace, love, or happiness, maybe you're not submitting to His will in your requests. Ultimately, His will will be done regardless of what we say or do. However, to have His will revealed to you, you must be submitting to it. When asking for something, it's always important to evaluate your requests and make sure they're not selfish. Are you asking for peace about something? Ask for God's peace; not a peace that lets you escape from every hardship in life. There are plenty of things that offer a temporary liberation from the troubles of the world--such as a walk through the woods or boating on a lake--and those can be great, but God's peace is what gives you rest, in Him, even in the midst of the turmoil. Perhaps He wants you to go through a season of suffering for a reason. Sometimes, it takes difficulty to draw us closer to Him and teach us more about Him.
Prayer is an immeasurable blessing from God. But it's not meant just for us to ask for whatever we want and then get it. Sometimes, He'll give it to us right away, sometimes, as mentioned before, it can take a while, but sometimes, we're just not asking for the right thing! "Unanswered" prayers don't mean that God has forgotten about you. If your prayers always seem to go unanswered, it's probably time to take a look at why that could be. Sometimes, He doesn't give us just what we want because He knows it's not what we need. So, ask for His will to be done, and for Him to show you how to submit to it and live in it.
Look for Him.
We've known since we were little guys that God is everywhere (anybody else do the kids' catechism?), but how often do we as older guys do we seem to forget it? As I grow in my relationship with God, I long to see Him working in my life and I love that feeling of closeness with Him. But feelings can be deceiving, and just because I don't feel Him nearby doesn't mean He isn't. As I pointed out before, "unanswered" prayers do not mean God has left you. It may be that you need to seek Him more actively. When talking about God's will, it's easy it think, "Okay, God's in control, so I'll just sit here and wait for Him to show me what He's up to." Uh, no, that's not how it works. As followers of Christ, we must be continuously seeking for ways to follow Him, which means getting up and going, not sitting and watching. Dive into His word and ask Him to speak to you through it; He will not fail when you ask in faith. The Bible is such a powerful tool, so use it! It's the word of the Lord, and He truly does speak to us through it.
Talk to God! Just like prayer isn't a means to get whatever we want, it's also not a religious ritual we have to do "correctly". No, prayer is how we grow in our relationship with the Lord, and talking with Him can and should happen constantly. You like that feeling of closeness to Him? Well, spend some time talking to Him and listening for His voice. You're confused, and need direction? Tell Him what's going on with you and ask Him to direct you in His way. You can't find Him anywhere? Call out to Him, and ask for reassurance of His nearness to you.
And, thank Him. I don't mean just when you're eating dinner, and you're really hungry, so it's like, "thankyouGodforthisfoodamen". I mean really thank Him. Always, in every circumstance, for every little thing you like or love or have. He's is the giver of every good and perfect gift, so say thank you all the time, because He's always giving you gifts.
Prayer can seem confusing, and knowing how to pray can be tricky. There's so much I don't know. But I'm learning that it's really not that hard when you view it as a beautiful gift that allows us to communicate with the Maker of all creation. Don't let those "unanswered" prayers throw you for a loop, instead, consider why you weren't given what you thought you really needed, and use it as an opportunity to grow in understanding of God's ways.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7
You've asked God continually to tell you "yes" about a big life decision you need to make.
You've been asking for Him to reveal Himself to you.
And it's not happening.
You know Jesus, you believe in God, and you know He's always with you. But...that's the thing, right now, you can't feel Him. You aren't seeing Him, you aren't hearing Him, and you just don't get how He fits into the confusion you feel like your life is in. You ask Him to show Himself, you say, "God, I need you!" but He's just not answering. Why is He not answering?
Maybe it's not time yet for Him to grant you what you're asking for.
Maybe you're asking for the wrong thing.
If you can't see Him, maybe you're not looking hard enough.
God's timing is not the same as ours.
"But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." - 2nd Peter 3:8-9
This passage is talking about the return of the Lord, however, it also explains that God doesn't work by our clock. He's not dragging His heels or making excuses. He's merely working in His own time because He's God and He can, and ultimately, His timing is perfect. (Not to mention that He doesn't even live in the realm of time.) So many times, I've asked the Lord for something over and over again, yet it just wasn't happening. However, when I look back at those times now, I can see that had He given me what I wanted then, it would not have been good for me. However, He gave me exactly what I was asking for much later, and it turned out to be an incredible blessing. Maybe He will answer your prayer and give you what you're requesting. But, maybe He won't do it yet. There's truth in that little saying "all in good time". Just be patient, and wait for His good time. Perhaps He's making you wait because He knows you need a lesson in patience...(*Holly preaches to herself*)
Are you asking for His will to be done, or for yours?
However, patience may not be all that's needed; you may need to completely change what you're asking for. Even if it seems like you're asking for a perfectly normal thing, like peace, love, or happiness, maybe you're not submitting to His will in your requests. Ultimately, His will will be done regardless of what we say or do. However, to have His will revealed to you, you must be submitting to it. When asking for something, it's always important to evaluate your requests and make sure they're not selfish. Are you asking for peace about something? Ask for God's peace; not a peace that lets you escape from every hardship in life. There are plenty of things that offer a temporary liberation from the troubles of the world--such as a walk through the woods or boating on a lake--and those can be great, but God's peace is what gives you rest, in Him, even in the midst of the turmoil. Perhaps He wants you to go through a season of suffering for a reason. Sometimes, it takes difficulty to draw us closer to Him and teach us more about Him.
Prayer is an immeasurable blessing from God. But it's not meant just for us to ask for whatever we want and then get it. Sometimes, He'll give it to us right away, sometimes, as mentioned before, it can take a while, but sometimes, we're just not asking for the right thing! "Unanswered" prayers don't mean that God has forgotten about you. If your prayers always seem to go unanswered, it's probably time to take a look at why that could be. Sometimes, He doesn't give us just what we want because He knows it's not what we need. So, ask for His will to be done, and for Him to show you how to submit to it and live in it.
Look for Him.
We've known since we were little guys that God is everywhere (anybody else do the kids' catechism?), but how often do we as older guys do we seem to forget it? As I grow in my relationship with God, I long to see Him working in my life and I love that feeling of closeness with Him. But feelings can be deceiving, and just because I don't feel Him nearby doesn't mean He isn't. As I pointed out before, "unanswered" prayers do not mean God has left you. It may be that you need to seek Him more actively. When talking about God's will, it's easy it think, "Okay, God's in control, so I'll just sit here and wait for Him to show me what He's up to." Uh, no, that's not how it works. As followers of Christ, we must be continuously seeking for ways to follow Him, which means getting up and going, not sitting and watching. Dive into His word and ask Him to speak to you through it; He will not fail when you ask in faith. The Bible is such a powerful tool, so use it! It's the word of the Lord, and He truly does speak to us through it.
Talk to God! Just like prayer isn't a means to get whatever we want, it's also not a religious ritual we have to do "correctly". No, prayer is how we grow in our relationship with the Lord, and talking with Him can and should happen constantly. You like that feeling of closeness to Him? Well, spend some time talking to Him and listening for His voice. You're confused, and need direction? Tell Him what's going on with you and ask Him to direct you in His way. You can't find Him anywhere? Call out to Him, and ask for reassurance of His nearness to you.
And, thank Him. I don't mean just when you're eating dinner, and you're really hungry, so it's like, "thankyouGodforthisfoodamen". I mean really thank Him. Always, in every circumstance, for every little thing you like or love or have. He's is the giver of every good and perfect gift, so say thank you all the time, because He's always giving you gifts.
Prayer can seem confusing, and knowing how to pray can be tricky. There's so much I don't know. But I'm learning that it's really not that hard when you view it as a beautiful gift that allows us to communicate with the Maker of all creation. Don't let those "unanswered" prayers throw you for a loop, instead, consider why you weren't given what you thought you really needed, and use it as an opportunity to grow in understanding of God's ways.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7
