In our lives, sometimes it seems God is nowhere to be found. Instead of answering our prayers immediately in the way we expect, He may allow us to stay in a situation that seems impossible to overcome. During these times, we must embrace our faith even more, knowing that He will come to bless us in ways we couldn’t even imagine.
Here are 3 ways you can demonstrate your faith that God will bless you abundantly:
- Remember that God answers prayers in a grand way. There may be times in your life when you feel you have prayed to God constantly, but you’re still are not receiving an answer. You may feel as though God is ignoring you because He can see your struggles but hasn’t intervened in your life in any way. In these moments, think about the struggles of Hannah. She wished and hoped and prayed for a child for many, many years. Taunted by her husband’s other, much more fertile wife, she even appeared drunk in the synagogue because she wept so profusely for a baby. Finally, after years and years had gone by, God blessed her with not one, but five children! In other words, God will answer your prayer—and He will do it in a grander way than you could have ever imagined. Hold these words in your heart: “For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
- Embrace your obstacles and know that you are God’s showcase. It may be easy to believe that God has turned away from you when you encounter hurdle after hurdle. It might even feel like God doesn’t want you to go down the path you are on because of the seemingly insurmountable problems you are facing. However, that is not the case. Consider Nehemiah, the man who decided to rebuild two miles of Jerusalem’s walls. He faced opposition in the government, construction delays, and zoning problems; he even had problems with infighting among his own men. Yet in the end, he triumphed by overcoming all his obstacles and rebuilding the wall in 52 days. His work then allowed others to see the glory of God through him. So today, know that God has not forgotten you while you face your obstacles. Instead, He is allowing His light to shine through you for the rest of the world to see. Embrace these words: “For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37 (ESV)
- Expect blessings around every corner. Often when you pray to God, you may already have an idea of how you believe He will answer your prayer. In other words, you expect him to come through a certain door. However, that is not always how it works out. For example, Jesus once ran into a woman who had previously had five husbands and who was living with another man at that time. Yet instead of sending her away, he told her everything about her life and even added that he was actually the Messiah. In turn, the woman went back to her town of Sychar and told everyone what she had experienced, causing the entire town to turn to God. While this sinful woman was an unexpected avenue for God’s work, He still was able to convert a whole town of people. Therefore, we must remember that God’s ways are not our ways, and that He can deliver our blessings through myriad doors and people. So remember to expect blessings everywhere while clinging to these words: “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9 (NLT)
Today, turn your blues to blessings by maintaining your faith in God’s blessings.
“For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13 (ESV)
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