Living With Life's Disappointments

"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray."

(James 5:13)

Loneliness. Sadness. Rejection. Disappointment.

These are among the most heartbreaking aspects of the human condition.

Many people feel like God has abandoned them when their life has not turned out the way they had hoped. Prayed for. Longed for.

A marriage ends in divorce because of adultery. Or, simply dies a slow death due to neglect. A child rebels and disowns her parents. A self-absorbed parent fails his child and the relationship is severed. A long career goes down in flames. Good health departs and terminal disease enters in. Family disowns one of its own due to ideological differences. Friendships die over time. Financial security dries up.

Most people are likely living with some type of disappointment in their lives. And many of us, after long years of seeing little, to no light at the end of the tunnel, eventually just give up. We throw in the towel. Oh, not with any fanfare. We simply stop trying and inwardly resign ourselves to, "Oh well, this is just the way it is." And then we attempt to put on a happy face and try our best to just get on with life.

The walking wounded.

But what most of us won't do—is give our disappointments and broken hearts to God. We don't invite Him into our pain to heal us there. We try to "be strong" and go it alone. Even worse, since our hearts have gone through years of emotional starvation, and we look to something, or someone else, to fill up the empty, famished places in our hearts. This is where adulterous relationships and addictions come from. We try to numb the pain, and fill the void in our hearts that only God can truly fill and satisfy.

But a bottle of pills, booze, gorging ourselves with comfort food, trolling the Internet for sexual fulfillment, or a forbidden affair will never satisfy our empty hearts and souls. They will only add crushing guilt and shame to our emptiness and sadness.

Lord, help our unbelief.

The great danger in staying stuck in our pool of self pity can invite our mortal Enemy, Satan, to sow his seeds of bitterness and resentment in our hearts toward others who have let us down...

And I can tell you from sad experience, that unforgiveness is a self-imposed prison that you can never escape from, until you choose to forgive from your heart, those who you feel have wronged you.

We have such a difficult time seeing God in our disappointments, because we're so self-focused on our circumstances and pain, that we don't stop to consider that He may actually be using this as part of His weaning process—to set our hearts free from seeking fulfillment in other things or people, when He knows that only He can satisfy our broken hearts. He uses the trials we experience in a fallen world, to draw us closer to Him. He wants us to find the abundant life that He offers. He is calling us there. But we have to choose to surrender our pain and disappointments to Him, and allow Him to lead us there; to lie down and rest in His green pastures, beside the still waters.

I've learned over the years that when we are too needy, (or perceived as being so), we can actually repel the people we love the most. It can become a form of idolatry; looking to someone else to fill the need only God can fulfill. Idolatry is simply placing something or someone else before God, or in His rightful place in our lives. Be careful. This is a quick path to depression and addiction.

We must turn to God and cry out to Him for comfort and healing.

“For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I would heal them.” (Matthew 13:15)

James writes, "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray." (5:13)

Prayer is talking with God and listening for His still small voice. Not simply talking at Him, giving Him our laundry list of wants and needs. He is our loving Father. If you were blessed to grow up with a loving father in your home, how did you talk to your dad when you were hurting? This is what prayer is supposed to be like. Not 'naming and claiming' stuff you want. It's having an intimate conversation with your heavenly Father—giving Him all your hurts, fears, disappointments and sorrows—turning to Him so He can heal your heart.

Disappointment is a part of this temporary life.

But seeing God's loving hand in the midst of our disappointments, as a way of drawing us closer to Him, is the secret to a life of joy in Christ, despite whatever bad hand the world or Satan has dealt you.

People will all eventually let you down in one way or another. It's inevitable. 

None of us are perfect. We all fail each other at times. We cannot look to a husband, or a wife, our children, or our family for our ultimate happiness or fulfillment. Because even if they are willing to be that for us, they are never able to truly fulfill us. Neither can a pastor, a church, a job, or any material things.

Look unto Jesus—the Author and the Finisher of our faith. He alone can truly satisfy our famished hearts.

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

Guard Your Heart, part 2

“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” 

(James 1:14)

I had a great time of fellowship with one of my best friends this morning—a true time of "iron sharpens iron"—sharing our stories, the scriptures, what God is doing in our lives, and praying for each other. We also discussed my latest blog post about guarding our hearts. And we talked quite a bit about the dual nature that resides in every person who is a born again Christian. The old man -vs- the new man. (See Ephesians 4:22-24)

My last blog entry was called "Guard Your Heart." The opening scripture verse was Proverbs 4:23,

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

My friend said he has a different take on guarding our hearts. He says we need to guard our hearts from the Devil, who is constantly attacking us, looking to take us down. And yes, that is absolutely true. Many Christians today fall in sin because they ignore Jesus' warnings about our enemy Satan. Jesus said:

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

The Apostle Peter also warns us:

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

So, absolutely, we do have a common enemy of our souls; Satan, the Devil. There are hundreds of passages in the Bible that speak to his dark evil and diabolical nature. The bible warns us to resist the devil. 

In my last article, I pointed out that the heart is fickle, and can be deceived. But my friend contends that since we have a New Covenant promise from God that He puts a new heart in us at conversion, that "our hearts are now good."

But as I read the passage again from Ezekiel 36:26-27, I noticed the text does not specifically state the new heart is "good." It also doesn't say it is bad. It just says "new." So I looked up the Hebrew word for "new" as used in this passage from Ezekiel 36. The word is H-2319: chadash; "new; fresh, new thing." Again, it doesn't use the word "good."

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

So, at conversion, we are given a fresh, new heart. And like a new born baby, we start a new life in Christ, "in process." Positionally, in Christ, we're seen by the Father as perfect. The blood of Christ washed away all our past, present, and future sins. Forgiven, forgotten, forever. But like Paul confesses in Romans chapter seven, he himself still sins sometimes. He practices the very things he hates. And in the good things he desires to do, he falls short. He's not perfect yet. He's in process. And I'm not referring to his eternal salvation; Jesus paid for that in full on the Cross. His salvation, our salvation, "is finished." I mean his earthy walk as a Christian—his transformation—is in process. We are being changed to be more like Jesus; from glory to glory. (See 2 Corinthians 3:18)

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

In Ezekiel 36, besides giving us a new heart, God says: "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them."

But even as Paul says, he still practices the things he hates. Thus, he doesn't always walk in God's statutes or keep and do His judgments perfectly, 100% of the time. Paul still has the internal struggle of his flesh warring against his spirit. The old man warring against the new man.

We also discussed the desires of our hearts, and how that fits in with the new heart that God gives us at conversion. And in my previous article I quoted Psalm 37:4;

"Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

It's seems clear (to me) then, from this reading of scripture, that desires come from our heart. So if our new hearts are in fact good, then where do any evil desires that we may have come from?

The opening scripture verse to this new post is from James 1:14,

“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.”

So this passage says that a person is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desire and enticed. And since desire is in, or comes from the heart, one can conclude that the dual nature (old man and new man) are somehow part of our heart. This is a great mystery, but I'm not sure how else to word it or see it. 

What is the old man?  It is our old sinful nature (also called the flesh) which we had before conversion—before we were born again by the Spirit of God, having believed in and put faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior.

And what is the new man?  That is our new born again spirit, the one that God said He will put in us, along with a new heart, which is a promise of the New Covenant. The Old Covenant was a system of Law by which a man attempts to make himself righteous before God by keeping all the specific commands of the Mosaic Law. But you have to keep all of them, which no human being in history has ever been able to do; save One; the Son of Man: Jesus Christ—God in the flesh. 

The New Covenant is; we are saved only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, through belief in His crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection. And that faith is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, and not of works, lest any man should boast. (See Ephesians 2:8-9)

So even though God did put a new heart in us at conversion, we have to realize that any ungodly desires  we have must also come from our heart. The bible doesn't say we have two hearts. In fact it says He takes the old heart of stone out of us. But again, it does say we have the old man in us, and the new man.

We are also commanded to put off the old man, and put on the new man.

“But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:20-24)

To be honest, it's quite a mind-boggling mystery to me, how we can have two natures residing within ourselves after conversion. How there can actually be the old man and the new man living side by side in my person. My little brain can't fully grasp it. But I know one day God will make all things known to us and all our questions will be answered.

In reading Ephesians chapter four, we are told to put off the old man (old sin nature) and put on the new man (the new spirit man, created by God). And this is not a one time thing. I find I have to do this every day, all day long, and in any situation, because not only is Satan the devil coming at me from all sides trying to attack me and trip me up with all kinds of fiery darts of temptations, accusations, and lies. But I also know from James 1:14, that my own desires can can be impure at times and can lead me away and entice me. 

So, all this to say; we have to guard our hearts from the outside; against this wicked world and against Satan and his evil attacks to try to steal from us, kill us, or destroy us. 

And we have to guard our hearts from the inside, against our own desires of the old man, that can lead us away and entice us. "Harden not your hearts."

Paul the Apostle summed up the dichotomy of this struggle of old man -vs- the new man in Romans chapter 7:

“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my flesh, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my flesh. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:15-25)

Even Paul the Apostle, great man of faith that he was, struggled with the mysterious dual nature. The flesh -vs- the spirit. The old man -vs- the new man.

But Paul cried out to the God who saves: "Oh wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" Then he said; "I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!" He is Who will deliver us from these bodies of death. 

We don't have all the answers. None of us. 

But He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

"Christ in you—the hope of glory!" (Colossians 1:27)

—God is Love and Love Never Fails. 

Guard Your Heart, part 1

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” 

(Proverbs 4:23)

One of the most beloved, and often quoted bible verses today is Psalm 37:4,

"Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

I mean, hey, God does want us to be happy, right? He's not some cosmic killjoy, seeking to deprive us of a happy life. Jesus did say after all that He came to give us life, and life to the full. (See John 10:10)

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

So if God is supposed to give us the desires our heart, why would He put a warning to, above all else, guard it?

For starters, the heart is fickle.

The heart wants what the heart wants. The world tells us to "follow your heart." But the heart can be deceived. It wants what it wants so desperately, it doesn't always want to listen to reason. The heart is impetuous. It is a "me monster" who is totally into instant gratification. Love at first sight.

Again, why else would God give us warnings in scripture about safeguarding our hearts?

“My son, keep my words,
And treasure my commands within you.
Keep my commands and live,
And my law as the apple of your eye.
Bind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your nearest kin,
That they may keep you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who flatters with her words.”

(Proverbs 7:1-5)

And more dire warnings from the wisdom Proverbs:

“With her enticing speech she caused him to yield,
With her flattering lips she seduced him.
Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,
Till an arrow struck his liver.
As a bird hastens to the snare,
He did not know it would cost his life.

Now therefore, listen to me, my children;
Pay attention to the words of my mouth:
Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths;
For she has cast down many wounded,
And all who were slain by her were strong men.
Her house is the way to hell,
Descending to the chambers of death.”

(Proverbs 7:21-27)

 Examine your own desires.

What passions inflame your heart? What tempts you? What are your addictions? Cravings?

Consider the multi billion dollar Internet industries that prey on the weak, susceptible hearts and addictive personalities of men, women and children. Here in the USA, and abroad. Why is online shopping such an addiction? Why do you think so many marriages end due to adultery?

A few years ago a friend of mine wisely said,

"The heart can be deceived; let your Christ-like mind lead your heart."

Paul the Apostle wrote:

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

A mind renewed by the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God, has been given godly wisdom with which to lead our heart. We are to follow Jesus—not the desires of our own hearts.

We are commanded to "test all things, hold fast what is good." (See 1 Thessalonians 5:21). Test the desires of your heart by the Word of God. People today love to say, "Well God gave us His beautiful creation for us to enjoy. That's how I worship Him."

But Jesus also said, "Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Me." And John wrote, "Do not love the things of the world."

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15-17)

Examining the desires of my own heart over the last several years, I can see how those desires can get way out of balance when I don't heed God's Word and closely guard my heart from the temptations and trappings of this world. Even the beautiful gift of God's creation can become idols to us if we're not careful. We end up worshiping the gifts God gave us more than we worship the Giver.

Going back to Psalm 37:4 about God giving us the desires of our heart, the part that often gets conveniently left out, is: "Take delight in the Lord..."  This part comes first. It qualifies the remaining part of the verse. If we truly delight ourselves in the Lord, He 'is' the desire of our heart. This is really key to understanding this passage.

If I forsake the Lord and never spend any time talking to Him, seeking Him in the Word, giving Him my whole heart, my thoughts, my obedience, and my love, where do you suppose my desires will wander off to? We tend to go looking for greener pastures and delight ourselves in all sorts of things that ultimately cannot satisfy the longings of our heart and soul. This is how Satan gets a stronghold in our hearts through addictions, adultery, and all other forms of idolatry and covetousness.

The more I spend time walking with God—delighting myself in Him and in the Father/son relationship I have with Him through Jesus Christ—my heart does not desire the things of the world the way it once did.

Don't let anything or anyone take root in your heart that could come between you and God.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.


—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

God's Providence

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Wow...

The way God moves and orchestrates things, events, situations and outcomes leave me speechless except to just exclaim, "Wow."

Praise God.

Today my phone rang just as the Presidential inauguration was beginning. My friend John could have called an hour before, or an hour after. But for whatever reason, he called right as it began. And I must confess, I almost didn't answer the phone. For a second, I reasoned, 'I will call him right back the second the inauguration is over.' But something in me, down deep in my "knower" said answer the call. And I'm glad I did. He is my friend after all. I wanted to talk to him.

Eerie timing, to be honest.

My friend has a little girl that is currently battling cancer. As a father, I couldn't imagine a more painful trial to endure than this. Divorce, separation and adultery are also equally brutal trials to endure. But as my friend wisely said, "It's all pain." 

Everybody hurts.

Hearing his testimony, I began to rejoice in how God as our faithful Father, is bringing him and his family through this painful trial. People of the Body of Christ are reaching out, loving and serving them in unexpected ways. The hope and comfort they are experiencing are the sweet fruit of the love and grace of God.

But what really moved me, was, even in the hour of his painful trial, my friend reached out to me...to see how I was doing. I recently experienced a heart attack/stroke scare and he was checking up on me to see if I was okay. (And I am fine now).

This is how God causes all things to work together for good for all those of us who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

God's Providence.

"God will make a way, when there seems to be no way. He works in ways we cannot see, He will make a way for me."

Over the course of my life as a Christ follower, I have gone through a lot of trials and adversity. And my propensity as a human being is to tend to get so caught up in my own circumstances, that I miss seeing the bigger picture. 

Spiritually, we need to be intentional about getting 30,000 feet up, and try to see things on this earth, in our own lives, from a heavenly perspective.

Why is God allowing us to go through this deep water? What could possibly be the purpose in allowing a little girl to endure cancer?

I don't know all the answers to those questions. But I do know God promised to work all things together for good. For our good. And for His good and His divine purposes.

Awhile back my same friend asked me to be the speaker at an upcoming men's ministry event. Share my story. I was humbled. What an honor. So I said I would pray about it. Seemed like an obvious answer to some prayers I've made over the last year or so.

But as I sought the Lord and His will and wisdom on this invite, I was not getting the go-ahead to do it. I wasn't getting God's peace in my heart that this was what 'He' wanted me to do. I didn't rush to a decision, and continued to seek the Lord about it. But I never got the green light from Him.

So I eventually communicated to a brother in that ministry that I was not going to be able to be their speaker. But I have to tell you, that the moment after letting them know I could not do it, I had a tangible peace and joy that I did the right thing. Made the right choice. As I drove down the road I turned on the Christian radio station that I normally listen to, and one of the regular pastors who does a weekly bible study on the air was talking about, (of all things), doing what God calls us to do in church ministry, but don't do what He is not calling us to do. He said, "If you signed up for something that you know God hasn't called you to do, un-signing up is easy. That's why God created erasers." As I heard this I smiled and began to laugh and I thanked God for giving me such a clear confirmation that I had heard His counsel on the situation, and had made the right decision by Him. I got some serious Holy Spirit goose bumps.

This is how God's sovereignty and providence is revealed and manifested. In simple ways of hearing and obeying God's still small voice that speaks to our hearts, and then He confirms it, oftentimes in unexpected, miraculous ways, the way He did with me that day.

So who is God calling to be the speaker at that men's ministry event?  He will reveal it, in His time. 

A few years ago, another friend named John asked me to be an usher at our church. It was never anything I felt called to do. But I genuinely wanted to serve and help out in any way I could. So I agreed to do it. After several weeks, I felt like a fish out of water. I'm a people person. But as I reached out to greet people as they came into the church, many times it seemed as though they looked right through me. It was weird. For whatever reason, I wasn't connecting. I talked to my friend about it and let him know, this simply wasn't for me. It just wasn't a fit.  He graciously thanked me for giving it a try. Then he said something to me that I will never forget. He said:

"Mark, if you are doing something God has not called you to do, you are actually taking the place of someone who God is calling to do it."

This was a pivotal moment in my walk with God.

Learning to first ask Him if something is His will or not. Then, patiently seeking confirmation and waiting on Him for an answer to my prayers.

So why was the timing of my friends call right as the presidential inauguration started, eerie? I believe God was showing and reminding me, all our hope and trust is in Him alone. No man or administration can save a nation. Especially not our horrifically divided, broken, and sinful nation.

I've learned in my life that nothing that happens to me is just a coincidence.

The bible says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.” (Psalm 37:23)

Before God spoke the creation, the universe, the air, the sea, the world, and man into existence, He knew my friend John and I would be having this conversation today. He knew we would meet for coffee a few months ago and share our stories and our hearts for God, for our families, and for serving men in need of God's grace and healing.

God's providence.

Please pray for God's healing, comfort, peace and joy, for my friend's little girl and for their family.

https://www.facebook.com/Hope-for-Addie-1817761471832378/?pnref=story

And may God reveal His amazing love and His will for you today, as you seek His face and listen for His gentle whisper in your heart.

Jesus said,

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

Does God Answer Prayer?

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John 5:14)

Before beginning to search the bible for an answer to "Does God Answer Prayer?" I believe we must first apply the passage from 1 John 5:14. John clarifies it for us: "If we ask anything according to His will...He hears us." 

Every prayer request must first be sifted through the truth of this all-important caveat: is what I am asking Him for God's will? The logical conclusion therefore has to be, if I am asking for something that is not God's will, I am not going to get it.

You have to settle this in your heart and mind.

So how can we know what is God's will or not?

First, try asking Him. "Lord, is what I am asking for Your will?  Be specific. The Word says "seek, ask, knock." And keep on seeking, asking, and knocking. And super important; be in a position of total surrender, that whatever answer God reveals to you, you will accept. Don't just ask the Lord a question with the attitude that you'll only believe the answer if it is what you want to hear.

Second, realize that we don't know how to pray as we ought. 

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26)

Next, we don't have all understanding like God does. We don't see the complete big picture. God alone knows the end from the beginning. We tend to ask for things that we think would be good for us, but God sees differently. 

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

But a lot of people will tell you, "Just have faith."

Afterall even Jesus said: "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." (Mark 11:24)

And we all have asked God for things in prayer, and we absolutely believed that we would receive them. But it still didn't work.

So, why not? Why didn't we receive what we asked for? We believed after all. We had "faith." So what went wrong?

Again, here's the caveat; we have to ask according to God's will.

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John 5:14)

In the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing He would soon be crucified, and would take the sin of the whole world on Himself, Jesus prayed: 

“O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39)

"Not my will be done... but Thy will be done."

We should all pray that way.

Great man of faith; the Apostle Paul, asked God three times that a thorn in his flesh, given to him by Satan, would be removed. But God said, "My grace is sufficient for you." Paul asked in faith, but God said 'no' to his prayer, because Paul, to whom God revealed some incredible things, now understood why his prayer request was denied, and said, “Lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations.” (2 Corinthians 12:7). God knew beforehand, why Paul's prayer request was something that would not be good for Paul, if He were to grant that request. Even Paul didn't always know what he should pray for.

And we're no different.

You can ask "in Jesus' name" all you want, absolutely believing God will give you what you have prayed for. But, no matter how much faith you have, if your request is not according to His will, you will not receive what you asked for. 

What is faith really?  Here is a simple exercise. Every time you see the word "faith" in the Bible, replace it with the word "trust."

2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "For we walk by faith, not by sight."  

By substituting "trust" for "faith" it reads, "For we walk by trust, not by sight."

For me this puts the focus fully on the Lord, who is the only one we can place our trust in. Is my faith in 'my faith'? Or is it in The Lord.  

People can say, "I know I will receive this because of my great faith!"  

"My faith." ...Sometimes, if we're not careful, that can come across as a bit prideful. "I won't be shaken because of my great faith!"

First, your faith is a gift.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

The biblical word "faith" literally means to believe; to trust.

So, when you think of how great your faith is—your ability to trust—remember, it is a gift from God. It is nothing you have in of yourself to boast of.

Second, and just as important, when replacing the word faith with trust, it puts the focus on Who my faith is in. My faith is in God. I have no faith in my faith. I put no trust in my faith. My faith, my trust; is in God alone. Not in my ability to trust. My trust is in the Lord.

Do you see the difference?

Thousands and thousands of faithful, caring people can all be praying together, believing that their collective prayers will be answered according to what they have asked God for. A terminally sick child healed. An imprisoned man set free. A woman's cancer banished from her decimated body. A homeless family desperately in need of provision. And these are beautiful, necessary prayers. These are prayers we absolutely are to pray. "Pray without ceasing."

But what if God's will is to work His plan, and advance His kingdom, in and through these specific times of great trial and adversity in His children?  To teach His people to draw near to Him, and to trust Him in the midst of great suffering and loss?

I'm learning to pray believing, asking God to heal the sick, and set the captives free. But in my prayers, I am to always pray that His good and perfect will be done, not my will be done. 

We can't see how He is working in the midst of a loved one's cancer, or through a man's imprisonment. We don't know the end from the beginning. Only God does. We don't know His thoughts about a situation. We can't understand His ways in why He is allowing something to continue, that we so desperately want Him to put a stop to.

So, the question is; will I choose to trust God to manage my life, no matter how bad things look, when there seems to be no way out?

When you can't possibly see how your situation is going to work out, will you choose to trust God with your life?

It's a choice you have to make. 

We are to pray and ask God for the things we need, and for the needs of others—believing He will answer affirmatively to our requests made in faith.

But real "faith" is to come to Him and make our request known, and then leave it at His feet, fully trusting Him with the results—come what may.

Job, a man who had lost everything, including his home and all of his children, but who was also a man who truly had faith in God, said:  

"Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." (Job 13:15)

About to be thrown into a fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar, three young, devout Hebrew men who truly trusted in the Lord, named Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-nego said: 

“If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18)

There are many hindrances to God giving us what we ask of Him when we pray. There is a lot in the Bible that teaches us what these hindrances are, and I encourage you to search the scriptures and learn what those things are. 

The focus that God put on my heart to write here today is, will you choose to fully trust Him with the results of your prayers to Him?

Will you choose to trust Him to manage your life, your trials and your adversity, even though you can't possibly see any way that it can work out?

Remember—only God can make a way when there seems to be no way.

But even if He doesn't give you what you ask from Him when you pray, sometimes His answer of "no" is the best answer. 

We don't know what we should pray for. We ask amiss. We don't understand why God does what He does, or why He allows what He allows. 

God does still answer our prayers. And I believe He has three primary answers:  

"Yes."

 "No."

"Wait."

Father knows best. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts; His ways, higher than our ways.

When my mom had her second and fatal stroke, we prayed and prayed that God would heal her. Of course we had faith. Of course we believed and absolutely knew that He could heal her. But instead He took her Home to Heaven. It was her time. He was ready for her to be Home, with Him.

Trust in Him.

He already demonstrated His incomprehensible love to you and me when He sent His only begotten Son Jesus, to die on a Cross for our sins. "For God so loved the world that He gave..."  (See John 3:16).

Trust in His love for you.

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.