Whenever you're in doubt, ask God.
But first, take a moment to quiet the voices in your head that are competing for your attention. For one minute, look away from the problem and focus your heart towards God our Father. It is worth every second of mental calmness if you can rest in one minute of peace before you make your requests known to God.
Having quieted your mind, ask Him for deliverance. Ask for a different job. Pray for healing. Whatever you are in need of is fair game. But be aware that sometimes you may not always receive exactly what "you" ask for if it's outside of His will.
Instead of deliverance, you may find yourself deeper into His presence. Rather than finding a new job, your mind may be transformed about the job you already have. In lieu of an anticipated yes answer from God, you may receive a no or not yet answer.
His plans may not include removing the challenges, but strengthening your faith despite them. His vision may be focused on long-term benefits that develops your inner self to handle future challenges rather than on your short-term problems.
Inviting God into our circumstances can unite our will with His will. Self-reliance will only separate us from His influence. John 5:19 MSG tells us that "the Son can't independently do a thing, only what he sees the Father doing. What the Father does, the Son does. The Father loves the Son and includes him in everything he is doing."
So, in the same way, will not the Father include His beloved children in what He is doing? His plans are found in the Bible, which contains details about His character and purpose. Having this awareness about God will strengthen our confidence about what to ask for. Confidence calms our wavering minds so that we know what we hope for will be received.
"This certain hope of being saved is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls, connecting us with God himself behind the sacred curtains of heaven ..." Hebrews 6:19.
I submit to this belief because of who God is. Psalm 102:25-27 tells me that God has lived from generation to generation. He created the earth. The heavens are the works of His hand. And, when everything else perishes, God will still be here. He's an everlasting God. Together with His power and authority, He's just the right person to ask.
It's also relevant to understand the definition of the word "ask." Merriam Webster Dictionary says that "ask" means, "to call on for an answer; to make a request of or for." However, in Matthew 7:7, the Greek word for "ask" is aiteō.
The concept implies that the inferior seeks the superior or that the inferior (mankind) seeks God. The intent is for our actions or attitudes to be a continuous or repeated seeking of Him. When we combine these definitions with who God is, it is imperative that we approach Him unceasingly and confidently because all things throughout eternity belong to Him and comes from Him.
I believe that our Father will not withhold His blessings from us when we obey Him and ask with His motives in mind. In your spare time, I hope you will read Matthew 7:7, James 1:5, 1Cor. 15:49, 1 John 3:22, James 4:3, Dt. 11:22-25.
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Brenette Wilder, (formerly of Altheimer, Ark.), is a blogger at wordstoinspire105953116.wordpress.com and author of Netted Together, https://nettedtogether.org.
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Editor's note: Pastors, ministers or other writers interested in writing for this section may submit articles for consideration to [email protected]. Please include your phone number and the name and location of your church or ministry. Writers should have a connection to Southeast Arkansas.