Have you ever prayed and pleaded with God over a personal matter and still had the answer be no? Have you ever laid your heart bare and thought surely God will have mercy on me? Yet, what if God’s mercy didn’t look exactly like the manuscript you sent up to Him? What if God’s mercy came through hardship, as your tears fall to the ground? Our faithful and just Creator looking beyond our desires and reaching our needs.

Each day brings with it new opportunities to learn faith and trust in God. Kids sprinkle in more of these opportunities as we rely on God with their safety and provision (can I hear an Amen). Yet kids can also teach us a thing or two more about faith. Just the other day it was […]

One step at a time we take, as we realize that our faith is not just a one and done phenomenon; but rather a lifetime of drawing closer to God through the highs and lows of life, and believe me their will be both. Yet, despite the peace and joy that God brings, drawing close is still an intentional daily choice of obedience and sacrifice, to stay cultivated and fresh.

Her favorite blanket was missing. Sure she has others, but this is her new favorite. A cute blanket with a cow on it that she lovingly refers to as ‘moo-moo’. We looked for a while, but nothing showed up. So she stopped and said, “I know what to do!” With her eyes clinched together she prayed, “Lord, please help me find my Moo-Moo, Amen.”

We lay a prayer before God, a prayer for healing, financial stability, or perhaps for the salvation of a loved one. Whatever the case may be, these prayers resonate in our hearts. We sit; we wait. We check the clock and calendar for time passed on unanswered prayers. Maybe being still and patient is what is required of you, but sometimes God wants us to put our money where our mouth is. He wants us to establish our faith by an action.

Today’s the day. We lay our prayer before God, the same prayer we’ve prayed for months, possibly years. Waiting for a miracle. Waiting for a loving God to bestow mercy on our particular request. What is the delay?

My mind drifts as I think of everything I need to do. Is their time to pause? Is their time to pray? Maybe I could multitask? Watch the kids, clean the dishes, plan my day’s agenda all while giving a shout out for uncle Jim’s stubbed toe. Sure, God hears us anywhere we pray, but are we praying in a reverent way? In a way that we expect mountains to move? In a way that we are bowing to a risen King? I have tried both types of prayer, and from personal experience, pausing, and taking my time to focus and humble my spirit to Christ is the way to go.

When we express the desires of our heart in prayer our prayers do not fall on deaf ears. Yet, sometimes when we don’t get a quick response, or exactly what we desire, we huff and puff and say God isn’t listening. God sees the full picture even when we only see a small piece of the puzzle. We just have to keep the faith that God knows what’s best. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get an answer right away. Keep on asking until God answers, and when He does answer, pray that God prepares your heart so you can accept the outcome.