Sometimes your plans fall apart, the opposite happens, or real tragedy hits. That doesn’t mean that God has forsaken you. It just means that you didn’t know what was going to happen. It also doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re wrong about something.

David was anointed king. He was clearly in God’s favor, but then spent the next several years running for his life. He didn’t do anything wrong. Paul was shipwrecked, stoned, imprisoned, and eventually killed. He didn’t do anything wrong.

Stuff is going to happen. No one said that problems would go away when you become a Christian. In fact, they can intensify. The enemy hates our walk with the Lord and will work against us at every turn.

It’s a good thing to ask God if there is something that you do need to repent for or adjust in your life. Be obedient. But if you are and still find yourself in the middle of trouble, God is with you. He’s there to give you the grace that you need. He will help you in the middle of problems. He will be your peace when there is none. Learn to walk in His joy and trust Him with all the issues. He promises to work them out for us. And God doesn’t lie.

Elijah made the rain stop for years, then he made it start again. Mary made God change His timeline for Jesus’s first public miracle. In both cases, they spoke to the situation and expected results. They didn’t get a group together to pray about it.

Your faith can move mountains.

Jesus said, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. (Matt 17:20) 

God responds to dramatic faith. There are times when we need to join together in prayer, and there are times when we need to speak to the mountain and tell it to get out. One person can do that. One person can feed five thousand people, walk on water, and raise the dead.

Elijah, David, Paul, Moses — they were all remarkable men, but they were just men. We’ve been filled with the Spirit and power of God to do amazing things. We have all the authority of heaven to release miracles in the kingdom. Imagine this world if every believer lived in dramatic faith. Try it.  Be that person and change what God has shown you needs to be changed. Mountains are about to fall.

Want to change the world? Want people to be saved, healed, and delivered from pain, abuse, and fear? There’s a secret weapon of the Spirit that will allow God to be God in all those circumstances. It’s called humility.

We are supposed to be the light of the world. Jesus is supposed to shine through us. When He does, He is seen and able to do the things that we cannot. But we have a bad habit of getting in His way, mostly unintentionally. It’s like we invite Him to a party to meet our friends, then stand in front of Him all the time. We work too hard, explain too much, and fear that He may not show up with us.

Humility steps back so Jesus can step forward. It’s faith and rest in Him. When we understand that He really wants to bless people, we can get out of His way and let Him be God. We can present the circumstance to Him, then sit back and watch Him work miracles.

It’s not about us. It’s all about Him. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5) But with Him, all things are possible.

Can you ask with Mary’s faith?

Mary’s request for Jesus to make more wine for the wedding party was unusual because He told her it wasn’t His time to reveal Himself to the world. Her response was to assume that He would do what she asked. And He did.

And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” (John 2:3-5)

Her determination to see results changed God’s heart. The very first public miracle was supposed to be something else, but Mary changed it. That’s how effective our prayers can be.

Notice that she didn’t beg or plead. In her mind, this was something that needed to be done and she knew He could do it. He just needed to be asked. Really, she didn’t even ask, she just told Him they needed wine.

Imagine going to God with that kind of determined trust, that all you have to do is ask and know that He will answer. You can’t doubt, you have to know. That’s what a son or daughter can do.

If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:14)