I have to tell ya, there are a lot of people that are discouraged and disgruntled. I get a ton of phone calls and emails with the same rant, "I pray and nothing seems to happen, where is God?" And honestly, there are times I don't know what to say. Some one may say, "Oh, Miss Preacher, your suppose to have an answer for everything!" No.... no one has ALL the answers. Only God.
Let me share with you some of the things people are walking through.....
A woman named Anne, had her husband die "suddenly!" I am talking "suddenly." One minute they were carrying on a conversation, the next, he was gone.
She was stunned. Shortly after the memorial, she found out he left her with NOTHING! ZERO! Except a pile of bills and two mortgages on the house. She was instantly broke. she could barely afford to bury the man. Her precious daughter had a nervous breakdown and landed up in an institution. This widow is busted, broke and broken....she lost her husband, she thinks she is losing her home and she almost lost her child.
A wife calls me to tell me her husband, who she just married, fell down a set of stairs and is now confined to a bed. This once vibrant man is now on life support. she barely got to enjoy her new life with him when this happened. In a short time she went from a happy new wife, to a full time nurse for him. She is confused and "a very lonely woman."
A young girl contacts me, she is discouraged. People at the church don't treat her right. She was once on drugs and practiced witchcraft. Before her conversion, she got a bunch of "tattoo's." She feels that because she is pierced and tattooed, the church people do not accept her and it has hurt her walk with God. (
A guy who is a hard, dilegent worker, who sings in a worship group at church and reads his bible regularly, just had a heart attack. He is out of work and feeling "abandoned" by God.
"I am a faithful thither Carol, he told me, where is the money to support my family. I feel like I am falling apart!"
All of the above people tell me, "I pray, I believe, but He doesn't answer!"
Lets talk.
First of all, I have felt the very same way. I have watched people who sin openly and uncaringly prosper and do well. And I have watched good men and women suffer and travail in prayer. only to feel like God isn't listening.
Let me start here.
God is always listening... oh, I know that sounds like a "pat answer" and most people respond with, "He is? then why is nothing happening?"
The fact is, something is happening. It may not be the way we think it should, but He is working things together for our good!
I have found in the times that I feel over welmed or discouraged. OH YES, I FEEL THAT WAY SOMETIMES TOO! there are three things that hasten God's move on my behalf and make me feel the "PEACE" that I need to get me through.
Here we go....
1. I stop talking negitive. The devils dwells in negitive talking and thinking. He loves when a Child of the King, is flapping his/her jaw and saying all the "POINTLESS AND HOPELESS" THINGS. Change the way you talk, it will change the atmosphere around you and charge it with HOPE.... FORGET WHAT ISN'T, SAY WHAT THE WORD SAYS ABOUT YOU.....
2. I FORCE MYSELF TO HAVE RECKLESS FAITH. okay don't think my words are "reckless."
I mean I choose to believe that God intends to meet all my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. I choose to release my faith, even if it is a morsel or a tiny little bit... I let it go... I declare God's provisions, peace, my needs met, hope, deliverence.... etc...
Faith pleases God, it moves mountiains of distress, finances, etc...
Faith PLEASES GOD AND SETS US UP FOR A MIRACLE.... YES A MIRACLE..
3. I try to meditate on the last time I was discouraged or down and God in His faithfulness and rich mercy met me at the point of my need and rescued me.
I think on these things, good report, worthy of praise, happy things, Gods goodness.
REMEMBER, THE DEVIL WANTS YOU DEFEATED, LOST, AND HE WANTS TO CONVINCE YOU GOD HAS FORGOTTEN YOU... don't give into that MESS. He is a liar.
I find that if I practice the above. I feel better and eventually.. through faith and patience GOD COMES THROUGH EVERY TIME... HEY, TRY IT... let go of the discouragement and let it be replaced by "courage." Courage to believe, when it looks impossible. courage to go on, marching forward and in the hope that only the Holy Spirit can provide.
Give the devil a black eye, don't let him hear all the negitive.... split his lip with POSITIVE, FAITHFILLED, NEVER GIVING UP .. NOT GOING DOWN... TALK!
GOD WILL SEE YOU THROUGH.. HE WILL, HE IS ABLE.. DON'T GIVE UP... I DIDN'T AND I AM STILL HERE... BECAUSE "HE" LIVES.... I CAN, CAN, CAN AND WILL FACE TOMORROW.
