Many times, I literally did not know how I was going to make it. There were times when I literally thought that I was losing my mind. I did not know how I was going to make it through the pressure of waiting and constantly praying through the fears and mix emotions. I realize that as a human being, I am not as strong as I pretend to be. The trials and tribulations of life knocked me into the reality of my human inability. It caused to question why I even exist.
That question compels you to take a long look in the mirror at your existence, so long that sometimes even your beliefs begin to feel like a fraud. I thought I had faith. I thought I was a strong Christian. I thought.
It is not until you go through various trials and tribulations that you begin to understand you have absolutely no control of the outcomes in life. You start to realize that your life could be over at any moment. You begin to acknowledge that you are as frail as a bug that is smashed against a vehicle going 55 miles per hour on the expressway. You begin to realize how foolish you have been and that the things in your past that irritated you, really do not matter.
You begin to appreciate the simple things of life. You begin to relax because you have learned through those trials and tribulations to rest in the everlasting arms of your Heavenly Father. Knowing Jesus is right there constantly making intercessions on your behalf is a great feeling. You begin to understand that God is time and no one can do anything to you that God did not permit, for God has already made a way for you to escape and to survive. All you have to do is listen to God’s voice as He encourages you to move forward or sometimes stand still and witness.
We are required to trust God and be obedient to God’s word. God does not want us to be religious about him as the millions of confessing Christians seem to do. Trusting in God’s word, the Holy Scriptures, is what trials and tribulations teach us to do. Those trials and tribulations become the very scriptures that you read but did not know understand before. Those Holy Scriptures come alive – activated through your trials and tribulations, and that is how your Faith begins to grow.
What is Faith really? Faith is God. Each trial and each tribulation is producing God – activating God within you, for Romans 12:3 states that God gives us a measure of Himself (Faith). That is why Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Yep! It is God Himself. You and I must experience the Holy Scriptures by trials and tribulations and know that each second of our life is established by what God has already ordained being the Author and Finisher of our Faith – our life for His glory.
In other words, each trial and each tribulation produces God. Each time we learn from our experience and trust God, we increase in God; therefore, we increase in Faith.
Why must we have Faith in God? Faith is God trusting in Himself. Your prayer is taking action that produces trust that activates God. Did you get it? God want you to use your Faith, God’s trust in Himself to activate Himself. It is similar to when God made a covenant with Himself when He swore by Himself (Hebrews 6:13) with Abraham.
God’s power pushes you into your destiny that God has already established within you and for you. God is the power within you. Do not get it twisted: YOU ARE NOT GOD. It is the Holy Spirit (The Third Entity of God) that empowers you to become victorious according to God’s will. It is the wisdom of God as you learn that enables you to make intelligent decisions instead of the foolish ones that you once made in your past.
IT IS ALL ABOUT GOD!
Please know that you cannot activate your Faith in God if you do not know God. You must be in right relationship with God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You must forgive others and love your neighbor. YOU MUST PRAY GOD’S WORD and not become repetitious (St. Matthew 6:7). You cannot depend on what you have heard through the media or from a church leader. God will respond to His word and a sincere heart. Therefore, you must learn God’s word. You do not have to be a biblical scholar or go around quoting scripture all day. If you are praying or believing God for something in Faith then you must do your homework and study God’s word.
For example, if you are sick then you will search the Holy Scriptures for healing. Scriptures and testimonies of those who God healed then get your prayer partners, for God will establish His word (2nd Corinthians 13:1). Jesus promised that He will be there when there are two or three gathered in His name (St. Matthew 18:20). Put God in remembrance of your case before Him (Isaiah 43:26). There are additional steps you must take before receiving His answer:
The 10 Steps of Encouragement to Receive Answers to your Prayers of Faith (God):
Step1: You must forgive, even if you are struggling to forgive. (St Mark 11:25)
Step 2: You must trust God and believe (St. John 14:1)
Step 3: You must seek God (St. Matthew 7:7)
Step 4: You must go to your prayer closet (St. Matthew 6:6).
Step 5: You must honor God’s name (St. Matthew 6:9 and St. Mark 11:2)
Step 6: You must repent from your sins. – come clean before God because God does not hear sinners. (St. John 9:31).
Step 7: You must see yourself in what you are praying for in Faith. (Hebrews 11:1)
Step 8: You must watch what you speak. (Proverbs 18:21) God spoke everything into being and God has given each of us the same ability in Faith.
Step 9: You must work your Faith (St. James 2:17)
Step 10: You must give God praise (1st Thessalonians 5:18)
Many have not had their prayers answered because they did not repent from their sins, had unforgiving hearts, did not reverence God, did not trust God, is impatient or does not walk in love with their neighbors.
God will listen to a sincere prayer even if you do not know the Holy Scriptures right now, so do not become discouraged. Just remember: the more you overcome each trial and tribulation, the more your Faith (God) increases.