Getting through the challenge - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) February 11, 2022

The last week has arguably been the most difficult of my life. It required me waiting on the Lord for His precise direction before taking a pivotal step.

I had to remember His promises and hold onto them as if for dear life. In my humble opinion, my life - in the now and in eternity - depended on hearing God and being ready to move when He spoke.

There was frustration, worry, stress, and tears. I definitely should have praised more than focused on the issue. But thank God for God because whenever I took my eyes off Him, He'd send rescue in the form of a friend reaching out to strengthen me with prayer and wise rebukes. Often laughter when necessary as well.

Then there were the spiritual leaders who prayed and sought the face of God on my behalf.

My family also prayed for me and with me. Holding my hand, making sure I rested when needed, ate when I'd forgotten to, and slept when I wanted to keep going but should have sat down somewhere.

Why am I sharing all this? I pray my experience proves helpful to someone going through the narrow way. Someone who needs to hold on just one more day, and another, until God says 'yes'.

When you find yourself in that situation, don't panic. Use your wordstones instead. Let praise music saturate your environment, reach out to your spiritual leaders - the ones from whose teachings you regularly learn, confide in your friends in the faith and lean on them. We do not fight alone.

Most importantly, please read your Bible and pray. you can only have faith and hope through the word of God taken directly from Him and not distilled by someone else.

Romans 10:17 - Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Colossians 3:16 - Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Allow God's word to build you up. Let it fatten your faith and thereby increase your hope for a future directed by the God who blesses abundantly. Oh and expect to be tested. That's how God builds your spiritual muscles making you ready for the next challenge and the one after that.

God bless you!

Join us for P&P this afternoon at Noon EST. Come ready to acknowledge the Lord for who He is, thank Him for what He's done and worship at His feet. Then, be ready to pray for the needs of others , asking GOD to help them and bring them out of whatever struggles they may be dealing with.

See you then!

PS: if you're wondering about the conclusion to my experience, simply see Romans 8:28 for the answer.