In Faith

Our prayer life is so important to our relationship with God. We have open access to communicate to God about our worries, concerns, thoughts, and desires. It is the perfect opportunity for us to be honest about where our heart is at and address where we need growth. We are given the opportunity, through prayer, to have our minds renewed in Him. As we pray and focus our minds on God, we are opening ourselves up to have God change our hearts, comfort our souls, and guide our mindset.

As 2021 came to an end, I prayed that God would grow mine and my husband’s faith in Him. It was my heart's desire for God to grow us closer to each other and closer to Himself. I had no idea that my prayer would be answered through the trials my husband and I have faced starting this year, but you bet the trials have grown both of us to be closer together and trust God deeper.

As the trials came this year to our home, it was much easier to ask the question “why now?” and “why are we facing this?” instead of recognizing God was at work in answering my prayers. I prayed God would grow our faith and I had my own idea of what that may look like. For example, Riley decided that he wanted to leave his job and find a new one. I was fearful of this not being our best decision. I could not see how this would help him and me move forward financially or prepare for the future. Thank goodness my fear was not greater than our great God who knows all that the future holds. God saw my fear and uncertainty and He grew my ability to submit to my husband as the leader of our home by submitting to God’s leadership in my life first. It’s almost like God knew that it would grow my faith. Of course, He knows!

James 1:2-4

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

God showed me through the unknown of my husband’s career that I needed to choose to trust that God would answer my prayer, even if I did not see that answer yet. I had prayed for faith and it was the time for me to now trust His guidance over my own ideas and plans. I had no idea what job God would provide for my husband. It was not my job to know what God would do but it was my job to choose to trust Him to lead my husband and me. In December, I had prayed for more than faith. I had prayed for God to give Riley peace in what the next step was for our family. God gave him peace to leave his job and it was not easy for me to support that without fearing the unknown, but it was my duty as a wife to say “If this is where God has given you peace, I support you fully”. I needed to choose to trust God to answer my prayers to guide my husband well and grow both of our faith in Himself. I needed to choose to trust my husband was following God’s guidance, as well. I had to choose to have faith!

My own sin of doubt and fear blinded me from seeing that God was at work and He was answering my December prayers in the way He knew was best. He was teaching me patience in the waiting for Him to provide Riley a job and trust in His timing and provision for our family. My fear and doubt controlled my mindset. But God in His comforting spirit gave me a form of comfort when I supported my husband. I saw the relief on my husband’s face when I told him that he had my full support. He told me that was all he needed to hear. It was at that moment that I felt the gift of peace come over me. I knew at that moment I may have done the hard thing but I also did the right thing. God allowed me to feel some peace when I acted in faith against what my fear and doubt were telling me to do.

Oftentimes the circumstances that we endure are allowed to answer a prayer. In the end, no trials go purposeless, but every trial is purposeful for something greater than ourselves.

God grew our faith with every job application and interview that was a dead end. Then, in God’s timing, He provided a new job for Riley. Because Riley listened to God’s guidance, Riley had some time off from work where he was able to complete classes for his real estate license, classes he would not have been able to take if he never left the job he had. Riley and I even benefited in our marriage in many ways with Riley no longer being discouraged and depressed from his recent job. People say “happy wife happy life” but I say the same goes for a happy fulfilled husband. We had increased opportunities together to connect during his time off work. We grew closer to each other as I prayed we would! I grew in my faith through the process of supporting my husband and encouraging him as he continued to search for a job. Once again, as I prayed I would! God gave my husband peace in the next step for our family, again, as I prayed He would!

Psalm 66:19

“But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.”

When we pray, we must first ask in faith for God to work and second, we must watch in faith knowing that God will work the way He wills to. He will answer our prayers, whether in favor of our desires, in favor of growing our patience, or in favor of His better plan for us. Nonetheless, we must be watching in faith that God will answer our prayers. If we are not watching, we may miss valuable lessons He is teaching us. We must choose to trust that He knows best, hears our prayers, and will answer the way He sees best. It is a choice! The choice comes daily as various circumstances beg us to doubt that God is at work or that He knows what He is doing. We must watch for God’s work because He will work!

Psalm 5:3

“In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”

It is so important to remember these truths because it becomes hard to trust God knows best when life goes differently than what we picture as the best for us. One of my downfalls is that I get nervous when things do not go as planned financially. I start rattling off in my head all the ways the circumstances will make it difficult to achieve the goal or even make ends meet. In a matter of seconds, I so easily forget that God provides for my every need (Philippians 4:19), He is always by my side (Deuteronomy 31:8), and He knows best. When I have goals and want to achieve them, I need to remember while I pursue those goals who is in control and it is not me.

My plans are soft plans because I must be moldable to what God’s plans are for my life. Even though my plans may not always pan out, none of my circumstances are a shock to God because He sees all and He knows all. Even in times of discouragement, when it seems like He stopped working, He is working in me and through me to accomplish His good work. To see God at work, I need only to watch in faith to see Him at work.

Philipppians 1:6

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."