The Wisdom of Depending on God
Carrie was frustrated. Anger played at the edge of her heart. Why didn’t God answer her? Why didn’t He rescue her in her situation as she begged Him too?
She began to pray less. One day she realized she had stopped praying except for her habitual prayer before meals. She realized she had quit expecting anything from God. Her trust in His goodness had melted away in the heat of her struggle and God’s silence.
Countless Christians have experienced their prayers erode to a trickle of empty words of habit or panic button prayers. Some lose faith when life’s hard circumstances make no sense and God fails to intervene as they think He should. Others simply get too busy to bother. Many experience feeling let down and disappointed by the church or other Christians and paint God with the same brush.
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It’s easy to begin depending on our own best thinking when we lose heart in expecting God to answer our prayers. Trusting God, when our path in life grows muddy, is not an easy task. The mud of weariness, busyness and hurt can cause us to trip and even fall. We wonder how we will ever get up again. Faith can feel like a thread that threatens to break.
Trusting God with your life, even when it makes no sense to you, is to choose to grab hold of the pearl of wisdom. As Christian women we know the vital connection prayer is to our God, yet we can let it slip away from fingers muddy from falling. We must be deliberate in choosing to cling to it. There is great wisdom and reward in depending on our God even in the silence.
Maintaining that vital connection to God in prayer is a choice. Step by step, through the fog on our pathway, we can choose to trust that God has our best interest at heart and lean on His strength to get us through our day… or … we choose to shrug Him off with little expectation and lean wearily on our own understanding.
When we live our lives with prayer on the fringe we are really telling God that we don’t trust Him. Often with our lips we declare trust but with our lives we show that we really don’t believe He will see us through. Ask yourself the hard questions…
- Do I really trust God to have my best interest at heart?
- Do I really believe He will strengthen me today to walk where I need to walk…even in the dark and the silence?
Choose to increase your trust in God and to bring prayer into focus from the fringe of your life. These steps will help you firmly grasp that treasured pearl…and you will discover the wisdom of depending on God. Choose to TRUST.
- T – Thanks
Thank God for the things He has done in your past. Go back as far as you need to.Begin to chart His track record in your life. Ask Him to remind you of times past when He was there for you. Then find something in your life today to be grateful for. Living thankfully is God’s will for your life.
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
- R – Repent
Say you are sorry to God for intentionally allowing things in your heart and your life that you know would disappoint Him. Having a rebellious heart toward God’s ways in one area of your life can cause your prayers to hit the ceiling in other areas. Take an inward look and ask for God’s help in changing attitudes, thoughts, motives and actions that need a correction.“If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened: but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer” (Psalm 66:18 & 19).
- U - Unify
Unify broken relationships. Whether you have offended someone or have been offended, God leaves the ball in your park to seek restoration. If restoration isn’t possible give God the broken pieces and ask Him to root resentment out of your heart. Bringing peace to fractured relationships brings blessing.“Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9).
- S – Share
Share the journey. When times are tough and trust wears thin, find a friend to pray with you and for you. Tell someone your struggle and ask her to walk with you awhile on the road of life. Getting help in our weakness leads to healing and to power in praying.“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).
- T – Take time
Take time to spend with God. If your heart is dry set aside some time to listen to praise music and use the words of the songs as prayers from your heart. Till up the ground that has become hard from the worries of life. Learn to spend time in the presence of the Lord and find refreshing beyond what you can imagine.“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust”” (Psalm 91:1 & 2).
Depend on God in new ways today. Trust Him… even in the silence and in the dark. The wisdom of depending on God will bring results in your life that will surprise you. “My God, in whom I trust”… with expectation!
dear jessica– i am soooooooo happy for you for your husband working again congratulations thank you for letting me know God bless you all too
I forgot to tell uou Sharon my Husband Dave was hired at the new company and started working immediately TUE 28 MAY 2013. Thank you my heavely Father. I love you and our family is so grateful for our blessings and miracles through our trials. You are always with us, by our side.
~Jessica Lynn Sedore~ (Clarendon, NY)
Blessings Sharon! My husband Dave Sedore (also a blessing from our MIGHTY, GRACIOUS God), my two sons were are my amazing blessings from God Jayson (11), my son Hunter (7) and Dave’s daughter also Jessica Sedore (13) who is my wonderful step-daughter all want to thank you for your prayers for our family! God gave us our miracle and my wonderful husband Dave was given the opportunity to find work and get hired! Praise our God and unconditional loving God! The BEST thing of all it was someone at our amazing church Calvary Chapel Westside who SO kindly helped Dave in finding a job at his company. The best part of all is that there are four Christians right now (maybe more) working in various parts of the company and they know eachother from our AMAZING church. I will tell you that no one can ever give up on God and their hope and faith in His mighty works. I firmly know and believe that in God’s timing everythinh works in His will. I know that He was waiting for the right job fror Dave. Faith in our mighty God is so precious. In all trials and tribulations we are to cling to Our Heavenly Father more than ever. We are always supposed to give ourselves and our lives to Him completely. It’s about the sacrafice that Jesus made for us on the cross. We must always remember that even though we will go throgh trials in life we always have to look to Jesus and remeber and praise Him on a daily basis in how He laid down His own life for us. God is what matters and He ALWAYS comes firstin our lives. I love that word “JOY” and what comes from it: Jesus (first in our lives), Other’s )always come second in our lives and lastly Yourself (we come last). lOVE AND MANY BLESSINGS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY Sharon!!!
“As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest
in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest
in me has also died.”
~Galatians 6:14
to jessica– prayer– father God i pray for jessica and her husband and family i pray that you will lead this man to a good job a job just suited for him and give him favor with the employers so he can provide for his family again i pray also for jessica for her to sleep too through the night peacefully bring other christians along their path to encourage them, i pray for a miracle for them i pray all of this in JESUS name amen i ma praying for you all
Gail I feel so blessed and thankful that I came upon your website tonight. My husband lost his job of 15 years
last July 2012, we have been struggling. I am on social security disability for Multiple Sclerosis. We have three children, my two boys ages 11 and 7 and my step-daughter. I wake up at all hours of the night, sometimes not being able to fall asleep at all. What you had said about praying and being closer to God and not giving up in the silence. I keep telling my husband that we have to wait on God and be patient in His perfect timing for our lives. It does get so painfully hard when it seems everything that can go wrong does. I do know that through are trials and tribulations in life God strengthens us and we truly need to cast all of our fears and anxieties to Him. We must completely trust in Him.
Blessings and prayers
~Jessica Lynn Sedore~
@ Trish I understand as even if it feels like God is not there he will guide you. I went through the same thing many years ago but looking back it free me. Lord Jesus I pray that you will be with Trish and Lord i pray that you will reveal your presence to her in a very real way. Lord I pray that she will not look inward but upward towards you for healing. Bless her, In Jesus Name, Amen
The article & comments were helpful. Just separated from husband who had multiple affairs & manipulated me often into thinking I was the one doing something wrong. I prayed for God to deliver me out of the situation and He did, bit in those lonely times since I have been on my own I have struggled to feel Gtood’s presence. I ktnow He is there, but this article helped to affirm it. Thank you
good article– thank you for posting it i think in times like these we need to depend on God solely and nothing or any one else will save us
sometimes I feel disconnected from the Lord and that He doesn’t listen but reading this shows He truly does care because this was exactly what I needed and He led me to this link tonight:)
Thank you so much for this, Gail. I cannot tell you how helpful your devotional is to me this morning. It is exactly what I needed! God bless you!
Thanks so much everyone for taking the time to visit our site and post your comments. We always enjoy hearing from our visitors.
Hi Gail: I am leading worship on Sunday, the theme (for the 5th Sunday of Easter) being, “Don’t be Troubled – Trust in God” (John 14). I found your words and hope to incorporate some of the ideas in the “pastoral prayer”. Very helpful. Thanks you!
HUMM AM REALYY BLESSED AND TOUCHED THANKS
i found what i needed at thed time when i needed it most. God blees you n make a precious tool in His hands.
Thank you Gail,
I have been strugglig recently with a job loss and poor money management. After 4 moonths of interviewing I gave up and turned everything over to God. In less than a week he provided me with employment and has worked other miracles in my life. Praise the lord.
Thank you Gail. I needed this. My husband of 25 years has been having one affair after the other and I have petitioned the Lord always but it seems to be unending. But I know he is there and is taking me thru or I wouldn’t have come this far. I must wait patiently for the day he will lift me out of all this pain.
I needed to be reminded to trust God. I have an adult son going nowhere and I was starting to blame God for not answering my prayers to guide him in the right direction. I must keep praying and be patient.
THANK YOU.This is really where I am. I have been struggling with a painful health issue for 3 years now.My heart is broken because I don’t see God moving in on my behalf . I needed to be reminded that He loves me and is working on my behalf, even when I don’t see it.
[...] Carrie was frustrated. Anger played at the edge of her heart. Why didn’t God answer her? Why didn’t He rescue her in her situation as she begged Him too? She began to pray less. One day she realized she had stopped praying except for her habitual prayer before meals. She realized she had quit expecting anything from God. Her trust in His goodness had melted away in the heat of her struggle and God’s silence… (read the rest of this article) [...]
Joanie,
If you feel like you need to speak to someone right now, I urge you to contact one of the many free and confidential suicide help lines that are available. You can find several here:
http://mag.thelife.com/interactive/Suicidehelp.html
You can also email an online mentor, and they will read your email and reply to you, again privately and confidentially:
http://thelife.com/experience/talk-to-a-mentor/
We also have an online study about suicide here:
http://mag.thelife.com/study/suicide.html?section=suicide
I encourage you to explore these resources. God loves you very much and wants to encourage you through these difficult times.
Lord Almighty God, I pray for Joanie, that regardless of what she’s going through that you would be with her, nearer than anyone could possibly know, and encourage her to realize that since she is still here on this Earth that there is so much more that You have planned for her. Please give her strength and peace amidst her difficulties, and please help her in every way by the power of your Holy Spirit.
I need help. I am suicidal and trying desparately to depend on God.
GAIL THANK YOU! God bless you always! I was in deep need of such words!! Your words entered deeply and directly into my heart & I thank God because I was searching for answers in this tough time & I feel God answered them through you! Thanks God & Jesus & Holy Spirit & Sainte Mary!
thank you Gail, it was very comforting indeed. i know that prayer requires patience and trust
thank you for this text Gail. it was very comforting indeed at a time where I needed to be re-reinforced. I realize that prayer requires patience and trust.