God likes a good wrestling match. If we throw out a prayer request and hope it gets answered, it probably will not. But if we are persistent in taking that request to Him over and over again, He knows we mean business.

Jesus told the story of the neighbor asking for bread at midnight and finally getting what he wanted by persistence. (Luke 11:15) When the widow continued to petition the unjust judge, she was finally given help. (Luke 18:5)

When Jacob wrestled with God all night, God changed his name. And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” (Gen 32:28)

Jacob wrestled with God and prevailed! It sounds like an impossible thing to do, but God allows us to prevail over Him. Wrestling with God is not for the faint of heart. It takes determination and brute willingness to persevere. There are no quitters in the Wrestling With God Hall of Fame.

How badly do you want your prayers answered? Will you wrestle for it? Will you continue to remind God of His promises? It is a wrestling match, but more to do with our own emotions and ability to stay focused in faith. But to those who endure to the end, the blessings are promised and will come.

Have you ever had one of those days when you didn’t feel all that righteous? I found myself feeling kind of grumpy and had a little talk with myself.

Me: You don’t seem very joyful, or anything.

Myself: No. I’ve decided that when my prayers get answered, I’ll be joyful, or anything.

Me: Hmm. Chances are, you’re going to be grumpy for a very, very long time.

Myself had to agree and then repent. If we can’t be joyful and expectant before our prayers are answered, it’s because we don’t really believe that they will be answered. The pre-answered joy is faith, because we know that God will do what He promises to do.

Do you need to have a conversation with yourself and get a little attitude adjustment? We all do from time to time. It just means that you need to admit that you haven’t trusted God as you should. Repent and claim His faith.

Having a bad day is not sinful. How we react to it can be. Don’t indulge in being grumpy.  Snap out of it. The longer you linger there, the more comfortable it will be to stay there. God has given us joy and love because He wants to us to live in His blessing.

Take care of your feelings and have a nice day : )

If you are living with stress, if something in your life is a burden, it’s not from God. There is a difference  between working through a mess and carrying it. Jesus said, Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matt 11:29-30)

He means it. If you don’t give Him your burden, you are not obeying His word. He can do what you can’t, so hand it over. Do what ever you need to do to hand off the issues to God and let Him do the heavy lifting. That doesn’t mean that you have no responsibility anymore. But it does mean that you stop stressing about it.

Are you facing payroll and have no idea where the money is going to come from? Fear will make you think of all sorts of panicky ideas. Faith will trust God. Do what you know to do and let God carry the burden for you. Faith is allowing Him to answer before you try to help. If payroll never comes and you have to close the doors, then everything you are is in His hands. Let Him open the next doors and then go through them. Find rest for your soul and trust Him. His plan is to let you live in rest.

According to your faith, let it be so

Whether our prayers are answered or not is up to us. I know, it sounds backward. We give our requests to God and expect that it’s up to Him to answer. But everything about God moving on our behalf depends on how badly we want it. Over and over again, Jesus told people, “According to your faith, let it be so.” If they only had faith for a minor healing, then that’s all they got.

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (Mark 11:24)

This gets harder when what you are asking for is pretty big, but only in your head. Jesus said, For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? (Mat 9:5) Healing a toothache or resurrecting someone from the dead or forgiving sin is all easy for God, so it doesn’t matter how big the issue is.

All you have to do is believe. The same miracles that Jesus did are waiting to be done today. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. If you believe, He will do it, so go ahead and believe big. If He’s going to do it, let Him do it all the way.