Three Reasons We Can Praise God even when Our Prayers Go Unanswered

We are a people addicted to success.

No matter how we define or measure it, success affects every aspect of our lives - how we view ourselves and others, how we set and tackle life goals, and sadly, even how and when we praise God.

Think about it.

It’s been a long time and you’ve been holding on to hope that God will answer your prayer. You can even see it in your mind’s eye. The deliverance. The relief. The praise party that follows. Everyone will know what God has done for you.

But it hasn’t happened yet. And your praise? Well, it’s a bit lukewarm, to say the least.

Or maybe, it was a more urgent crisis, and God didn’t show up the way you had hoped He would. If you’re honest, you feel a little disappointed (or maybe a lot) and rejoicing in your trials feels like more than you can handle.

When we pause to examine our success/praise connection, we realize that all too often we wait for a ‘successful outcome’ to our prayers before we burst forth in God-honouring praise. In our waiting or our disappointment, we fail to praise God for His sustaining grace.

God’s Sustaining Grace

True, you haven’t gotten the answer you prayed for, but haven’t you been kept? Haven’t you been strengthened and comforted as you walked through the valley? Have you celebrated the glimmers of hope God gave you along the way?

Sometimes, our eyes are so fixed on the expected end, that we look right past all the blessings on the way.

Why not pause and praise God right now for the way He has held you up and kept you going, kept you hoping, even with bruised and battered knees.  

Yes! God’s presence with us in the dark valley of unanswered prayer is worthy of our wholehearted praise.

“Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.” ~ Psalm 73:23 

But that’s not all.

God’s Gift of Salvation

As members of God’s family, even if He never again does anything for us, He’s done enough. Our salvation, our welcome into His presence, our gift of life forever with Him should cause us to overflow with praise.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” ~ Ephesians 2:4-6

Ponder that for a moment and let that refreshing truth saturate your parched soul.

You were dead. Destined for wrath. But now you are alive, saved from God’s wrath, and seated with Christ in the heavenly places. And what’s more - He has given you everything you need for life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3)

I think that’s worthy of our unending praise, don’t you?

“The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. ~ Psalm 118:14

God’s sustaining grace and His gift of salvation aren’t the only reasons we can praise Him in the valley. We can praise God because no matter what it looks like in our limited vision, He is still on His throne.

God’s Sovereignty

It happens to all of us. Every so often, we become overwhelmed by the mountain of prayer needs around us. But we don’t have to crumble in discouragement. Instead, we can choose to fix our gaze on God and His sovereignty.

“Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.” ~ Jeremiah 32:17

God is not delayed in answering you; He has a plan which no one can thwart (Job 42:2) and for those that love Him, He promises to work all things together for good (Romans 8:28). Even when we don’t understand His timing or His answer, we can trust His heart. And we can rest in knowing that this good God has supreme power and authority over everything.

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” ~ Romans 11:33

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My friend, I don’t know what answer you’re waiting for right now or what disappointment you may be facing, but I do know that God is always worthy of our praise. He walks with us even through our troubles, He died that we may live, and with Him all things are possible. May He reign in our hearts as He reigns over ALL and may we bless Him with our unending praise.  

Grace and peace to you,

Carlie

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Three Reasons We Can Praise God even when Our Prayers Go Unanswered

How to Accept Your Weakness and Ask for God's Help

It’s not something we are comfortable with. When we bump into it, as we all inevitably do, our gut reaction is to feel embarrassed and exposed. So, we run. We try our best to hide it from others, and we try to pretend it’s not even there. We are so unsettled by its presence that we crave just the opposite. But eventually, we all must face it. And how we respond to it can have life-changing and eternal consequences.

What am I talking about? Our weakness. Our inability to meet a need we are faced with.

From childhood, we are conditioned to take aim and shoot it down, to go to war with it. It just does not fit into our quest to be strong and independent. And being strong and independent, standing on our own, needing no one is the victory we’re after. Or is it?

Think about it. The last time you were faced with your inability, how did you respond?  Did you become defensive and argumentative, angry, or ashamed? Did you burn the midnight oil to come up with a solution on your own? Or did you ask for help?

Asking for help is one of the greatest lessons to master in life. I can’t imagine how much pain we would avoid if we pushed our pride aside, accepted our weakness, and asked for help. But so often, we struggle to do this. It’s as if, our admission of weakness is too much to bear.

But, if we were to stop comparing ourselves to each other or even to a perfect version of ourselves and compare ourselves to God, accepting our weakness would be an easy thing to do. Next to God, I am nothing, and neither are you and we can do nothing. He is the Creator of all things seen and unseen, and His power is without limit.

God hasn’t created us to be strong and independent, to do life on our own. He has created us to live branch lives, to be fully dependent on Him (abiding in Him) as we thrive in community, in relationship with Him and others.  

This 'branch life' is totally counter-cultural. In fact, it goes against our very grain. We don’t like being dependent. We kick and fight against it, but the reality is we are. When we stop fighting and finally accept our weakness, it’s not the pain we imagined it would be. In contrast, it opens the door for us to receive grace, to live in community, and to experience the full (and dependent) life God offers us.

'The branch life gives power for prayer. We are branches of Christ, the Living Vine. We must simply live like branches - abide in Christ - then we will ask what we will, and it will be done unto us.' ~Andrew Murray

But we have to start with admitting our weakness. We spend so much of our lives avoiding the issue and ignoring the conversation. Why not take some time to sit back and look at your life? You won’t have to look far to see it. And once you do, admit it. You are not able to do life on your own. Not the full, thriving life you’re after. Then, once you’ve admitted it, accept it. It’s okay. It is meant to be this way. We’re all in the same boat. Weak and needful.

Then, my friend, simply ask God for help. Just think about it. The Creator and Sustainer of the universe has given you everything you need for life and is offering to walk with you and let His Spirit dwell in you. When you accept His offer, you can become comfortable with your weakness, because with Him, even when we are weak, we are strong.

‘His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.’ ~ 2 Peter 1:3 (ESV)

‘That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.’ ~ 2 Corinthians 12:10 (NIV)

 Have you gotten to that point? In delighting in weakness. If I’m honest, I still struggle with the delight part. Yeah, I’m getting better at accepting, I’ve been in God’s school a long time, but delighting in my weakness is still something God is working on in me. But I have His promise, He will complete what He has started in me, and along the way, He will show me more and more what it means to live the branch life.

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What about you? 

Where are you on the road to admitting, accepting, and asking for help? 

Have you acknowledged your greatest need? Your inability to fix what’s broken between you and God? 

Have you asked for His help and accepted His gift of a renewed life and relationship with Him? 

And if you have, how are you doing with accepting your weakness and asking for His help in the day-to-day struggles of life? 

God is waiting for you to admit, accept and ask. 

What are you waiting for?

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May grace and peace be multiplied to you,

Carlie

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How to Accept Your Weakness and Ask for God's Help

In This Dark World, Do Your Words Leave Room for Hope?

It was a simple, short sentence. Just three words really.

But I’ve been haunted by them ever since.

Convicted by the lack of hope I left in their wake.

Has that ever happened to you?

You open your mouth, and out comes words that you regret the moment they take wings and fly. Or maybe, you don’t feel it right away. Perhaps, it takes some time for the uneasiness to settle into your consciousness and ruffle your conscience.  But sooner or later, it pricks you.

You want to shine light and sprinkle grace with your words, to point others to the hope you find in Christ, yet sometimes you do just the opposite. You proclaim a death sentence. A chilling judgment that leaves no room for hope, no encouragement to look for how God will show up, as He always does.

Yes, I know, I understand. The situation looks dire. It has been years and your loved one is still caught in a pattern of self-destructive behaviour. Your bills keep outrunning your income, and you feel like you can’t keep up. And as for your health, some days you don’t even have the energy to fight on. But hear me, carefully. All is not lost.

God is still on His throne, and you are still His child. He is working in ways you can’t even see, and He hasn’t lost sight of you or the problems that plague you and your loved ones. In fact, He still has the whole world in His grasp.

There is hope. Always hope.

I’m a firm believer that one cannot live without hope. And there is no surer hope than the Hope found in God the Father and Jesus Christ, His Son.

So, how do we keep this Hope front and centre? How does it seep into our very beings, so much so, that it overflows in our words and actions?

As we bid farewell to 2021, and with it the second year of the global pandemic, I’m choosing three simple R’s to hold onto Hope.

1) Reflect on God as Light

The words of John 1:5 seem to be stuck on full beam in my mind.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ~ John 1:5 (ESV)

I can sit with that verse for the whole day. It reminds me that no matter how dismal or dark the world or our circumstances seem, darkness does not win; God’s light always breaks through!

Sometimes, though, it’s hard to find the light. Sometimes, it takes time for our eyes to adjust to the darkness, to search for the shards of light breaking through. But they are always there. To help us see, we need to take time to remember.

2) Remember the Goodness of God

When we glance back over the year, and our gaze descends on the dark days, let’s look closely for the sparks of light. Let’s choose to remember what God has done for us, how He showed up in merciful and surprising ways.

For instance, I think of the pain of losing my sister-in-law, way too soon, and yet I remember God’s mercy to her and the light she shone so brilliantly in her life and even in her dying. Yes, the pain is still there, even overwhelming at times, but somehow by remembering God’s mercy, it becomes more bearable.

Please don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to minimize or disregard your pain, I’m simply reminding us to look for God. He has promised never to leave us and when we look back and remember, we can see that He has kept His word.

This is exactly why we rejoice.

3) Rejoice in the Steadfastness of God

Even when life feels uncertain, when everything around us is changing, and we are struggling to find solid ground, we can rejoice. Why? Because God is steadfast.

He never changes, He remains the Rock we can stand on, cling to, and find shelter in. And He constantly pursues us with His unchanging love. Even when we have failed to reflect Him, to use our words and actions to spread hope, He offers us grace.

Nothing quite fills us with hope like rejoicing in the steadfast love and faithfulness of God.

So, there you have it, my friend, nothing complicated, just three simple R’s to help us hold onto Hope and shine light and sprinkle grace wherever we go.

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What about you?

Do you need to take time to reflect, remember and rejoice today?

Do you ever feel convicted by your hope-stripping words?

Don’t worry, God’s grace is sufficient for us all. 

As we reflect on God as our Light, remember His goodness and mercy to us, and rejoice in his steadfast love and faithfulness, may the hope that He offers consume us.

May this Hope sink in deep and settle in the crevices of our hearts, our minds, our very souls. May it touch everything in our lives, the way we see the world, the way we interact with others, and especially the words that we use.

May our hope-drenched words shower us and others with the courage to keep on believing.

For isn’t that what we all need in this world? May God help us all.

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Grace and peace be multiplied to you,

Carlie

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In This Dark World, Do Your Words Leave Room for Hope?

Behold Your God - The Pathway to Peace

 

Today for the first time, I think, I'm joining the Five Minute Friday link-up. I just couldn't resist the word 'Behold'. It makes such a difference when I pause to behold my God in all His majesty and beauty!

Do you ever forget who you’re praying to?

Well, no, of course not, you say. That sounds ridiculous.

But sometimes, if I’m not careful, I think I forget. And perhaps you do too, as well.

Let me explain.

Sometimes, I rise from my place of prayer, walk back into my day, and right away pick back up the very worries and concerns God has asked me to leave with Him.

It’s as if I forget that He’s not only able but willing to carry my burdens and fill me instead with His peace.

In essence, I have failed to behold my God, to remember just who I am talking with.

So, now, in my quest for living, breathing, beautiful prayer, I have made ‘Behold my God’ my very first step.

When I pause at the beginning of prayer to fix my mind on God as revealed in His Word and His world, my perspective shifts and my peace deepens.

I remember that He is my all-powerful, loving Father in Heaven who works all things out for my ultimate good and His glory.

Sometimes, I think of His omnipresence, His outside-ness and above-ness of time and space, and it comforts me that He is with my loved ones all over the world, all at once. Or I might ponder the power-pack of His omnipotence and steadfast love, as I bow in thanksgiving that He is as good as He is powerful.

In fact, more than just a path to prayer, beholding God in all His beauty and majesty can fill my whole day, indeed, my entire life.

What about you? What does beholding God look like for you?

One of my favorite 'Behold' passages in the Bible is Isaiah 40. Why not take a few minutes today to dive into that chapter; I know you will be blessed.

May grace and peace be multiplied to you,

Carlie 

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Behold Your God - The Pathway to Peace

Tips & Tools to Help You Sit Awhile with God

“Father, please help . . .”

The words trickle seamlessly through my mind. There is no hesitation, no doubt, because I know He’s always there, listening.

As I walk through my day, hand in hand with my Father in heaven, conversation flows naturally. When I run into a challenge or think of someone who is struggling, I reach out to Him; I know that He’s waiting for my call, ready to help.

“Thank you, Father…” I whisper as I’m reminded of how good He is and of all that He’s done for me.

No matter how busy the day gets, we talk throughout the day.

But it’s not enough. I crave deeper. For our relationship to grow and flourish, I need to accept God’s invitation to enjoy quality time in His presence. To walk right up to His throne, sit a while with Him, and learn of Him and from Him.

But I don’t always take the time. And when I don’t, I can tell the difference.

If you’re like me, sometimes it feels like an invading army has been unleashed against your good intentions. A wandering mind, physical and emotional fatigue, doubts, a busy schedule, and simply being overwhelmed with the cares of life all seem to join forces in the attack. 

Not to mention, if we’re being honest, oftentimes, we are simply not comfortable with being so exposed in front of God. Sounds ridiculous, but it’s true, just ask Adam why he was hiding in the garden.

So, how do we fight back? How do we mount a counterattack and win the prize of a close relationship with our heavenly Father?

Prepare your heart

First, let’s start with remembering that God is merciful, and good, and loving, and faithful. Offering atonement for our sin and inviting us into His presence, He welcomes our honesty. He doesn’t turn away from our heart-deep desire to draw close to Him and renews and refreshes our strength. And, most surprisingly, He adopts us as His own.

When we call to mind who God is, talking to Him becomes a cherished privilege, one we are quick to ask Him to help us embrace.

Embrace the privilege

One of the best ways to embrace this privilege of prayer is soaking up the pages of the Bible. In it, God reveals to us His delight in a relationship with us, reminds us that prayer is a two-way communication pathway, and prods us to listen just a tad more than we speak. The Bible overflows with real-life examples of people, just like us, crying out to the God of the universe who answers in real, tangible ways. It shows us the intimacy, the power, the privilege of honest to the bone, humble prayer. Whether as poems, laments, prose, or songs, the prayers of the Bible are given to us to help us draw near to God.

Play music

Another great way of drawing near to God is through His gift of music. God loves music. He rejoices over us with singing, and throughout the Bible, from Exodus to Revelation, music features prominently as His people gather to worship Him. It is no wonder then the impact music has in helping us to express our praise and thanks to God.

Over the years, I’ve compiled various playlists that help to quiet my heart and usher me into a sweet time of fellowship with my Father in heaven, no matter what is happening in my life. My most recent  – Songs of Prayer is compiled of songs that seem to flow directly from my heart to God’s in melodies that I could only dream of singing. 

Pray

But the best way of all to connect with God’s heart is simply to talk with God. Yes, I know I said, simply, but to be fair, we all know that, sometimes, it can be quite a challenge to quiet our minds long enough to have a meaningful conversation with the One we can’t see. 

So, oftentimes for me, I start with the Bible in hand. As I listen to His voice revealed in the Scriptures, I respond in prayer - praising Him for His majesty, thanking Him for His goodness and grace, seeking forgiveness for my sins, and asking for His blessings and guidance.

And if my mind still wanders, I find that it helps to pray out loud, either alone in my room with God or as I walk with Him outdoors. There’s just something about being in nature that pulls my thoughts and praise upward.

Writing my prayers and thoughts out has also been very helpful to me. Something mysterious happens when our thoughts flow through our fingers and onto the page. As our minds become more engaged through the handwriting process, our focus sharpens, and our understanding deepens. Clarity often follows and we’re left feeling more at peace or refreshed or relieved.  

You can choose any journal you like, but because my two new journals have enriched my quiet time with God so immensely, I knew I couldn’t keep them to myself. So, for the first time, I’m excited to share about them below.

‘Beholding the Majesty of God – A Scripture Writing Journal’ is designed to help us stand in awe of God. As we write out each scripture passage that focuses on an attribute of God, we're drawn into a deeper appreciation for who God is. And isn’t that what life is all about – to know God more and more. I think you would enjoy its’ simple, inspiring design.

My other journal, the ‘Live Amazed Prayer Journal – Embracing the Privilege and Power of Praying for Others’ also features scripture writing, but it has an even further benefit. It helps us to be other-focused in our prayers, reminding us that our powerful, loving Father invites us to pray for all people everywhere. Indeed, God has reserved blessings to pour out in direct answer to our prayers. This journal celebrates God and all that He is doing in our lives and our world. I pray that it will help us to live amazed at God through prayer.

If you're interested in learning more about the journals, you can visit my Journals page HERE.

My friend, I know that, like me, you crave a deep, abiding relationship with God. I hope the tips and tools I’ve shared today will help as you strive to connect deeper with Him.

But remember, there is no right or better way. Mix it up or keep it consistent, just do what works for you. And that, right there may be the most important tip of it all – Just Do It. 

Don’t wait for things to fall into place or to feel right, or the busyness to pass, just reach out to God, now. He’s right there, just waiting to hear from you. He doesn’t mind our jumbled words and scattered thoughts (trust me, I know); He simply wants a relationship with you. Don’t let ideals keep you away from the One that promises, “ I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

 

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What about you? 

Can you feel the difference when you miss spending time with God?

 Do you wish sometimes that you could just press pause and reconnect with God? 

What are some things that distract or deter you 

from taking advantage of God’s rejuvenating offer? 

How will you connect with God today?

May grace and peace be multiplied to you,

Carlie

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Tips & Tools to Help You Sit Awhile with God

How Sitting Awhile With God Helps Me to Live Amazed

 

Here’s what I think I should do, God. Sounds, good? Okay, let’s go! Have you ever told God where you want to go and how you want to get there, then asked Him to bless it? Yeah, me too.

Walking with God is an interesting adventure. For me, it means actively living out my faith while being totally dependent on Him, yet sometimes, I get too focused on the walk. My walk. My plans. Sure, I convince myself, I’m doing it all for God, but if I don’t take the time to sit awhile with God first, I venture out in my own strength. And we all know where that leads.

Turns out, talking with God is the vital link to walking with Him. When I lean in close to listen to God, I hear Him more clearly. Then, He shows me when to march on, when to stand still and when to sit awhile and rest. And even more, He gives me everything I need to do exactly what He’s asking of me.

I’m amazed really at how patient He is. He never lets my hand go, listens to all my rambling, scattered thoughts, and gently but firmly guides me in the way that I should go.

Sometimes, it might mean marching on like a soldier at war to carry out the mission He has set for me. At other times, He calls me to stand still, shielding me with His body, while He fights for me.  And still, there are times when He simply whispers, “Let’s just sit a while.”

And just like that my focus shifts from service for Him to devotion to Him. I toss aside my plans, my ideas, and take the time to be still with Him, to listen for His voice.

When I sit awhile with God:

He reminds me of who He is in all His glory, and I bask in His light.

He receives me as I am, broken, weak, prone to wandering, and welcomes my open and honest confession.

He reaffirms my chief aim – to love Him with all my heart, soul, and mind, and to allow His love to flow through me.

He refills my gratitude, reminding me that all I am and all I have are gifts from His hand.

He renews my faith and helps me to step steadily towards the miracle I know is there, but I can’t yet see.

He reassures me that despite the chaos swirling around us, He is still sovereign and good; He has a plan, and He will provide.

He prepares me for the next phase of our journey and gives me the courage and boldness I need to move forward when He gives the word.

Yep, sitting awhile with my God fills me with peace, hope, and courage and helps me to live amazed every day. Who would have thought that sitting a while could be such a vital part of walking with God?

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What about you?

Have you taken some time lately to sit awhile with God? 

What is he calling you to do? 

March forward? Stand still? Or simply rest and wait for His word? 

Why not lean in close today and listen for His voice.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7 ESV )

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If you need help scheduling some time to be still, my friend, Shaunelle Drake, invites you to SitAWhile while she plays inspirational piano music for you. I have enjoyed several sessions with Shaunelle while in the comfort of my home. If you long to pull away from the noise and sit awhile with God, I encourage you to visit Shaunelle's site to register for the next SitAWhile right HERE.  

May grace and peace be multiplied to you,

Carlie

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How Sitting Awhile With God Helps Me to Live Amazed

When God is the Only One Who Can Help

I read the passage through again and sighed. Oh, how I could relate.

Under attack? Check

Done all I could? Check

Defeat seems inevitable? Check

Sometimes, I tire of hearing my own prayers. Deliverance seems like a distant dream.

But then there is this:

Servant-child of the living God? Check

And therein lies my hope.

“On what do you rest this trust of yours?”

It was a question put to King Hezekiah of Judah while he was defying the King of Assyria. And it’s a question for us today.

It’s time for some good ole soul searching, my friend. The kind that makes us squirm and shift our gaze.  Uncomfortable yes, but in a good way so long as it makes us confront the idols we’ve placed right up there, next to God.

If I’m honest, my confidence doesn’t always rest in God alone. It’s scary and painful just to type that. Yet, the truth remains, sometimes, my trust is divided. And deep down I know, God is not pleased with divided trust.

So, as I wait for deliverance, I go back to King Hezekiah. Where did he place his confidence? What were the steps in his rescue? What is God telling me about Himself through this biblical account? And how can I respond?

Desperate and Distraught

‘This is what Hezekiah says: this day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them.’ (Isaiah 37:3bNIV)

Unfortunately, sometimes we have to come to the end of our rope before we are desperate enough to turn to God ALONE. When all our carefully researched and resourced steps, taken to guard against a threat, prove to be woefully insufficient, we recognize our dire need for God. Despite King Hezekiah’s vast preparations, He could see no way out. Unless God intervened, Jerusalem would, like the surrounding fortified cities, be reduced to a pile of stones.

When you think of your situation, the one for which you have been praying for deliverance, is God the ONLY way out?  Or do you still have some cards hiding in your back pocket?

Humbly Seek Godly Counsel and Prayer

Coming face to face with their stark inability to defend themselves against the superpower Assyria, King Hezekiah did what any godly king would do, he humbled himself before the living God whose limitless power ALONE was able to deliver them. Tearing his clothes and wearing sackcloth, Hezekiah went into the temple of the Lord and sent messengers to the prophet Isaiah asking for prayer. What about you?  Are you in this battle alone? Or have you reached out to the family of God requesting prayer?  

Spread it All Out Before the Lord

But it is in King Hezekiah’s prayer and what follows after, that I find the most hope. Having received a written threat from the King of Assyria openly insulting God and His ability to deliver them, Hezekiah went before the Lord and spread it out before Him.  

Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord.  And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord:  ‘Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.  Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.

 ‘It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands.  They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.  Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are the only God.’ (Isaiah37: 14-20 NIV)

Here is my shortened, highlighted version:

You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth, hear, see, deliver us, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.  

Oh, I have so much to learn from this prayer. Who am I praying to? The One who made heaven and earth. Does he hear and see? He sure does. Can He deliver us? Without a doubt.

Wait for His Deliverance

So, when I’m desperate, distraught by the seemingly insurmountable problems I’m faced with, I can do like King Hezekiah, I can humble myself before the living God, seek godly counsel and prayer, and spread out the details before the Lord. Then I wait, for surely, He will answer.

And when I read the words: ‘Because you have prayed to me . . . this is the word the Lord has spoken', I feel God whispering to me, ‘keep praying, I’m hearing and I’m seeing, don’t give up, have faith, trust that your deliverance will come’.  

Such words of hope and assurance!

Yet, if I’m honest, sometimes I wish my deliverance was like King Hezekiah’s. Quick and overtly miraculous. A vast army wiped out in an instant, the retreat of the boastful Assyrian King, clearly the hand of God at work. But my deliverance has not been quick. In fact, though I often see glimmers of hope, the threat remains very real.  

But the more I lean into God and His Word, I’m reminded, that sometimes the rescue takes time and often it can be scary. I mean, just think of the children of Israel crossing the Red Sea. What do you think it felt like crossing over the seabed with walls of water towering on either side? Not the most comfortable feeling, I imagine. So, yes, I keep praying, assured that God hears and sees and is both willing and able to bring deliverance. And most of all, I’m learning more and more to trust His timing. When deliverance comes, it will be clear; it is entirely by the hand of the LORD, and He ALONE is God.

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What about you?

In what area of your life are you desperate for God’s deliverance?

For a fresh burst of hope and assurance that God hears, sees, and saves read the full account of King Hezekiah’s response to the Assyrian threat in 2 Kings 18 & 19 or Isaiah 36 & 37.

God’s Word is indeed alive and active, and useful for equipping us for the good work of persevering in prayer.

 

May grace and peace be multiplied to you,

Carlie
 

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When God is the Only One Who Can Help