{"id":1633,"date":"2013-04-14T09:00:23","date_gmt":"2013-04-14T14:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/?p=1633"},"modified":"2013-03-14T12:41:22","modified_gmt":"2013-03-14T17:41:22","slug":"praying-through-trials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/?p=1633","title":{"rendered":"Praying Through Trials"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Dear<\/a>Many think once they accept Jesus as their Savior that it\u2019s smooth sailing into the Kingdom of God.\u00a0 Not true.\u00a0 Scriptures indicate that all people have trials \u2013 the just and the unjust.\u00a0 Sometimes we bring trials upon ourselves.\u00a0 Sometimes we do everything we are supposed to do and trials come anyway.<\/p>\n

James 1:1-3 tells us we will have trials.\u00a0 It goes so far as to say we should consider it joy because trials test our faith and help us develop perseverance.\u00a0 Now I must admit I have not reached the plateau of spiritual growth where I\u2019ve come to consider my trials a joy.\u00a0 However I think it helps to focus on something other than our circumstances.\u00a0 It helps to focus on Jesus.\u00a0 As the old song goes:<\/p>\n

Turn your eyes on Jesus.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Look full in his wonderful face.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim<\/em><\/p>\n

In the light of his glory and grace.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

One of the best ways to focus on Jesus is through prayer.\u00a0 So my system of dealing with trials is to \u201cpray through them.\u201d\u00a0 Here\u2019s how\u2026<\/p>\n

Tell God How We Feel<\/b><\/p>\n

We can be totally honest with God about how we feel.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t mind if we dump our anger, frustration, disappointment, and grief on him.\u00a0 However, this can\u2019t be our only communication with God.\u00a0 No one likes one continuous pity party \u2013 not even God.<\/p>\n

Ask for Specifics<\/b><\/p>\n

There\u2019s nothing wrong with pleading for deliverance, but let\u2019s not forget some other specifics such as asking for strength, guidance, wisdom and peace or even that we learn what we need to learn from a situation quickly.\u00a0 However, our ultimate goal is to align our will to God\u2019s, not talk him into giving us what we want.<\/p>\n

Praise God<\/b><\/p>\n

No matter what our circumstance we should praise God (Psalm 97:1-7).\u00a0 We may be having a difficult time but God is still our creator, sustainer, redeemer, comforter, friend, and ruler.\u00a0 He is loving, kind, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy.\u00a0 As we focus on how great God is our problems become smaller.<\/p>\n

Give Thanks <\/b><\/p>\n

We can always find something to be grateful for.\u00a0 Like the old adage, \u201cI complained because I had no shoes then I met a man who had no feet.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Focus on what we have, not what we lack, and be thankful for it.\u00a0 We can thank God for his creation, family, friends, food, life, music, sight, hearing, health, peace, understanding, laughter, home \u2013 the list goes on and on and on.<\/p>\n

Remember God <\/b><\/p>\n

In the midst of severe trials it\u2019s difficult to remember all the wonderful things God has done for us in the past.\u00a0 Sometimes we have to ask God to bring those to mind.\u00a0 Remembering the many answered prayers and God\u2019s faithfulness gives us perspective.\u00a0 One major problem with the Israelites was they continually forgot how God delivered them to freedom and brought them through the wilderness (Deuteronomy 5:15; 8:2).\u00a0 The minute things didn\u2019t go their way they chose to grumble instead of remembering all God had done for them.<\/p>\n

Pray for Others\u00a0 <\/b><\/p>\n

A difficult concept to grasp is that we are not the center of the universe.\u00a0 Other people are going through hardships too.\u00a0 We need to pray for them.<\/p>\n

Pray for God\u2019s Will to Be Done<\/b><\/p>\n

Through all our trials we must want God\u2019s will to be done, not ours.\u00a0 God\u2019s will might not be our will.\u00a0 Can we live with that and love God anyway?\u00a0 It\u2019s not wrong to make our wishes known but our lives are in God\u2019s loving hands.\u00a0 Do we trust him to do what\u2019s best even though it might not be what we want?\u00a0 As we grow in our relationship with God we learn more fully that he truly loves us.\u00a0 When we realize God is compassionate, loving, and kind, we actually want to surrender our will to his, even though it may hurt.\u00a0 Jesus asked, \u201cMy Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me,\u201d but surrendered His will to God\u2019s.\u00a0 \u201cYet not as I will, but as you will (Matthew 26:39).\u201d<\/p>\n

God never promised us a problem free existence.\u00a0 Sometimes God takes away a trial and sometimes he doesn\u2019t.\u00a0 Paul prayed for his thorn in the flesh to be removed but God didn\u2019t remove it (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).\u00a0 Was it difficult for Paul?\u00a0 Yes, but Paul conceded that God\u2019s greatness and power was made perfect in his weakness.\u00a0 So Paul was willing to delight in his hardships so God could be glorified.\u00a0 That\u2019s almost as difficult for me to grasp as counting my trials as joy.<\/p>\n

However, ultimately any trial is really more about God\u2019s greatness being manifest than our discomfort being assuaged.\u00a0\u00a0 That\u2019s why we pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) \u2013 especially when we are going through a trial!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many think once they accept Jesus as their Savior that it\u2019s smooth sailing into the Kingdom of God.\u00a0 Not true.\u00a0 Scriptures indicate that all people have trials \u2013 the just and the unjust.\u00a0 Sometimes we bring trials upon ourselves.\u00a0 Sometimes … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1633"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1633"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1633\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}