Only God can change hearts and circumstances; our job is to pray and trust Him
HEBREWS 4:16
16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
I remember the conflict that arose many years ago when I was being considered for the position of senior pastor. Every Sunday when I preached, I knew that a number of people in the sanctuary objected and were trying to get rid of me. It was a challenging situation. Perhaps you can relate because of a difficult home life, work relationship, or school situation in which people are reacting negatively to you.
The way to handle troubles is discovered on our knees. The heavenly Father waits for us to approach His throne through prayer, gain His divine perspective, and receive instruction on how to proceed. In my prayer time, a battle was taking place between what I wanted—avoiding this conflict—and what the Lord had planned for me—to move forward in faith. Eventually, I agreed to God’s course and experienced His peace in my life.
When we humbly seek the Lord through prayer, we invite Him to take the lead in our situation and to accomplish His plan. He may direct us in ways that surprise us, but they will be for our good and His glory. In my case, God instructed me not to argue or defend myself. My part was to pray. It was hard to be silent, but I trusted Him, followed His lead, and watched Him resolve the situation.
Praying on our knees reminds us that God is the Master and we are His servants. He knows all things, whereas our perspective is narrow. He is also all-powerful—He can penetrate hard hearts and closed minds. We cannot. Let’s make prayer a regular part of our day and watch what the Lord does.
In Touch Ministries