Same cycle for years at a time: going to Church, pray all the time, intense belief in God, and finally prayed for perseverance, which I didn’t seem to have answered…… In good times or bad, I’ve always had a problem with PERSEVERANCE. The naive believes everything, but the prudent man considers his steps. James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” With that said, sometimes He uses other people to help you in this process.Ī wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel. Here are bible verses about seeking counsel: Many couples go as a last resort before divorce others go to strengthen already thriving marriage. Also, my husband and I attended Weekend to Remember recently and it was unbelievable. Something that comes to mind personally is to seek counsel from your pastor and guidance from godly men you know and trust. First and foremost, we are praying for you both, that the Lord will direct your paths according to His perfect will and bless you both with merciful and forgiving hearts, filled with His wisdom and love. We read a book called “The Life You’re Fighting For” by James Robison, and it might be applicable, though I’m not - I’m sorry to hear about the current situation with you and Judy. Refinement? Spiritual warfare? God bless you sister. I’ve heard of people going through extremely trying times and growing closer to God in the process. You might also like Keeping Faith in Trials, Temptations and Hard - Thank you for sharing this. What’s the hardest part about keeping faith in tough times for you? “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” (Luke 8:15) The tough times will hit us, but we are living for something bigger. As my husband tells me, stay in the Word. Surround yourself with loving friends, pop into a church before starting the day, read the Bible, put some encouraging messages where you can see them, attend a service, watch an online sermon, ask someone you love to pray with you or meditate on positive thoughts. When you feel the struggle heavy on your back, bury yourself in more good soil. Keep choosing God over and over and over. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)Īnd if you fall for it… which we all do at times… start again. “Watch and pray, so that you will not fall into temptation. Temptation will sway in and out to mislead and falsely appease you, but pray right through it. “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12)ĭuring the discomfort, pray that God guides your steps and keeps you strong. You will feel (and eventually see) the difference. Think of a yoga stretch or new skill getting to the next level requires a time of discomfort while pushing forward. It’s not taking a risk–it’s strengthening your faith. Lean into it and bear through the discomfort that comes from trusting in what you cannot see. 3 Ways to Keep the Faith Right NowĬhoose to remain faithful when there is no visible finish line and no feeling of relief. Taking that forward step is your faith in action. We take forward steps and backward steps (and side steps and missteps), but we’re growing when our number of forward steps become greater. Sometimes we can see the temptation at work in these moments sometimes we can’t. Will we believe anyway–cultivating a more mature faith? Or will we decide He’s not there, falling back on all the voices we’ve heard in the past? When we ask, “Where are you, God?” and hear crickets chirping, that’s when we’re left to decide. Our faith isn’t always tested in the good times our faith is tested during trials and times of challenge. Why wasn’t He answering my prayers? Why wasn’t He showing Himself? And then I remembered something: We grow in our faith, and it takes time. I felt discouraged, depressed… and impatient. I prayed over and over for Him to bring relief and change the scene. After a long stint of peace and tranquility, yesterday proved challenging with flaring emotions, less-than-graceful communication and the temptation to - yet again - go over details.Įven with all the reading, all the praying and all the practice of trying to stay peaceful, yesterday was overwhelming, and I found myself begging God to drop me a line. But what about periods of prolonged suffering or surprise attacks? It’s easy to see why we believe and encourage others to “keep the faith” when they’re feeling down. In good times it’s easy to talk about faith.
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