The other day, as I was vacuuming up remodeling debris in the kitchen and Christmas tree needles in the living room, I was thinking about a set of circumstances over which I have no control.
As often happens when I’m vacuuming, one thought led to another and soon a second situation that also is totally out of my hands—one that I’ve been praying about for what seems like a really long time—came to mind.
Pray for the first one like you’ve been praying for this one, the still small Voice whispered to my heart.
Can you guess the very first thing that popped into my head after that?
But God, you don’t have a very good track record with this kind of thing.
I know. As soon as it hit my brain, I realized how ludicrous it was. How ridiculous, how brash, how almost blasphemous it sounded.
As if God’s track record for all of recorded time hinges on two situations that touch my life.
As if the fact that He hasn’t yet answered all those prayers the way I want Him to means that He’s not working in the situation at all.
As if a reminder of His sovereign provision and direction in our lives hadn’t literally shown up in my inbox the day before.
It’s hard, though, when other people are hurting. When you’ve been praying about something for years and, in some ways, the situation has actually gotten worse. When other prayers are answered, but—for some inexplicable reason—not this one.
It can bring on (or intensify) feelings of doubt. Exhaustion. Impatience. Perhaps even abandonment.
Our longsuffering heavenly Father knows all of this. It might surprise us, at least if we think we are the only ones who don’t have it all together. But not one bit of our humanness surprises Him.
I continued to vacuum, asking God to forgive me for my errant thoughts. To help my unbelief. To enable me to hold my expectations for how He acts in my life—and in the lives of those around me—loosely.
Maybe you find yourself in this same spot right now. Exhausted—not from the hustle and bustle of the holidays, but from the burden that lugging around unmet expectations puts on your heart.
If you can relate, perhaps a few thoughts that are guiding my soul during this bittersweet season will encourage yours as well.
• God is perfectly capable of fulfilling His purposes in other people’s lives.
• His glory will prevail whether we question His track record or not.
• It’s not about me (or you).
• Now is not the time to stop praying.
• • •
I hope you’ll join me again next week as we close out the blogging year with a post about keeping Christmas. It’s not exactly your typical Advent piece, but I’m hoping it’s exactly what some of you might need right about now.
♥ Lois
Now is not the time to stop praying. Click To Tweet God's glory will prevail whether we question His track record or not. Click To TweetP.S. I’m linking up this week with Purposeful Faith, InstaEncouragements, Recharge Wednesday, Let’s Have Coffee, Faith on Fire, Faith ‘n Friends and Grace & Truth.
20 comments
Lois, you put it straight up – we’ve all had the same thoughts but don’t always admit it! Looking forward to your Christmas post.
Haha, Susan … it’s good to know I’m not the only one! I hope you enjoy Christmas in your new tiny home. 🙂
Oh goodness does this resonate with me. I have questioned Gods track record too- and quickly felt like a fool for it. Praise Him for always being faithful and loving us in our humanness. Thank you for this encouragement to keep praying even when prayer “doesn’t seem to be working.”
Amen, Bethany! Hugs, friend!
Dear Lois, thanks for putting into words what so many of us have struggled with. The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I see His hand and His heart at work.
It’s not easy, but His peace can permeate even the rough places. I’m so grateful …
I’ve experienced this too, Linda … what a blessing to see it happening, and then to be able to reflect on it after the fact. 😊
I can relate to all that you stated here and have had the very same thoughts and experiences.
In a particularly heartbreaking and hard to understand circumstance in a loved one’s life, I had felt let to lead the charge for a week of prayer and fasting. My loved one rallied her troops and I rallied mine. That week of prayer for the particular circumstance was actually the worst one yet. Myself and my loved one were feeling discouraged and hopeless, if I’m being totally transparent myself here. We know, of course, that God is able and He is always working in unseen ways, but it has been particularly hard to pray for a situation that has worsened and one that has gone on for years. But we know that the Holy Spirit is praying with groans too deep for words and knows the situation, and that He has compassion on my loved one.
Your insights and words of wisdom here were convicting and encouraging.
Thanks so much for sharing.
Oh, Karen … I’m so sorry for your loved one’s situation, and for the discouragement you have felt when praying about it. It’s exhausting, isn’t it? I wish we could peel back the curtain and see what God is really doing during these long stretches of hardship. Praying for relief for your loved one and for God’s sustaining mercy to strengthen you both today. Thank you for sharing a bit of your experience here.
I definitely relate to this post! It’s hard to keep praying when we don’t see the answers we want but so important to hold onto the truth of God’s sovereignty and his faithfulness even when we don’t understand what he is doing (or not doing) in our situations. This ties in with my post this week too.
So true, Lesley. I will be heading over to your place soon to read more of your perspective on this. 😊
It’s never the time to stop praying. Love this, Lois! Now to put it into action….
Thanks, Lisa! And yes … I need regular reminders to persevere with this, for sure!
Well, thank you, Lois, for keepin’ it real here. I’m in the same camp with you, catching myself with cheeky, blasphemous thoughts about the sovereignty of God when he “fails” to operate according to my timetable.
He is so longsuffering toward us!
Yes, Michele … He most definitely is! I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who does this, and who is willing to admit it!
Thank you for this, Lois. I have something I’ve been praying for and needed encouragement to not think like this —> “As if the fact that He hasn’t yet answered… the way I want Him to means that He’s not working in the situation at all.” I needed this! It was encouraging, Thanks for posting. I thought I was the only one who went into “deep thought and prayer mode” while vacuuming. LOL
Tweeted.
Thanks for linking up at InstaEncouragements!
Haha, Patsy … no, you are definitely not the only one! I’m glad this post was encouraging for you. 😊
It’s amazing how a mindless chore like vacuuming can initiate a train of thought that becomes deeply meaningful. You eventually got to where you needed to be – “don’t stop praying”!
It happens to you too, Laurie? I do some of my best thinking while vacuuming!
Lois, when I saw the title of this post, I heard the words of an older woman from years ago who said to me, “When it’s hard to keep praying, you just keep praying.” Now is not the time to stop praying for we know that “at the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing IF we don’t give up” (Gal. 6:9, NLT). May we be faithful to just keep praying.
I love that verse, Joanne. So applicable when it comes to prayer!