By: Jennie Scott
I’ve been praying a specific prayer for several years now. Years.
But the answer still remains “no” — or at least, “not yet.”
What do you do when you’re confident the Holy Spirit has confirmed something in your life, but the time has not yet come? What do you do when you know what God has told you, but His timing is different than yours?
And, even more, what do you do when you see someone else receiving the answer to the very prayer you’ve been praying?
Can I be honest?
Sometimes you cry and pitch a holy hissy fit.
Sometimes you question God and beg to know what He’s thinking.
Sometimes you remind Him of what He said to you in the past, and sometimes you feel completely lost.
I’m finding that trusting God is the hardest part of my faith journey.
I believe in God — I do. I believe He is good, I believe He hears me, and I believe He has a plan.
But trust? I think trust is hard. Here’s why: I can believe He is good, but I can struggle to trust He’s being good to me in what He allows, answers, or denies.
I can believe He hears me, but I can struggle to trust that His hearing my prayers will ever lead to Him answering.
I can believe He has a plan, but in the waiting for the plan to materialize, I can struggle to trust that He hasn’t forgotten me.
And my trust is always tested when I see someone else getting what I’ve asked for from Him.
That specific prayer I’ve been praying for years? God answered it — but for someone else. That thing I believe He’s confirmed for my life? It’s now a reality for someone else.
That’s tough.
It’s not that I don’t think this person deserves it, and it’s not that I just want it all for myself.
It’s that I know God could answer it for more than one person, but so far, He’s chosen not to answer it for me.
When you have to face the reality that God can but He won’t, you also have to face the reality that trusting Him is a choice when the easier option is to assume He doesn’t care. The enemy wants you to think God has rejected you and is withholding his best. He wants you to be jealous and bitter and to see God as stingy. He will continue to tempt you with the thought that you must not be good enough.
But that is not true.
Article supplied with thanks to Jennie Scott.
About the Author: Jennie is married with two children who shares lessons from her own unexpected journeys and encouragement you might need for yours.