when God doesn't show up and do what you told Him to do...can you still trust Him?let's talk

I almost gave up on prayer. Not because I stopped believing in its power, but because God had finally made it all very clear to me. He was not, in any way, shape or form, going to answer the prayer in the way I had specifically instructed him to. I didn't give him my plan just once, but often. Daily. For years. Through hard and soft tears. The same prayer, the same instructions, written out so clear and concise a flipping monkey could follow them. Despite all of my efforts, God still has not answered my prayer. He has failed to follow through with my plan.

...excerpt from Victorious Secret: Everyday Battles And How To Win Them, ch. 14. The Battle of Trusting In His Plan

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This.

This comes up a lot.

In the talks that I give.

In my Bible Study meetings.

Over coffee with a friend.

With my husband and an open bottle of wine.

Can we really trust the Lord?

When prayers appear to fall on deaf ears.

When marriages fall apart.

When loved ones get sick.

When Priests act like monsters.

When children turn on their parents.

When first graders are murdered in their classroom.

When accidents happen.

When everything falls apart.

How can we possibly hand over what is most precious to us, and say, "here ya go, God, all yours", when he so obviously picks and chooses his response to our daily prayers, and more often than not, does not follow through with them in the way that we told him to follow through?

How on earth do we say in confidence, "do with me what you will, I accept all" and still remain grateful when that "what you will" means the loss of a child, a terminal diagnosis, a lost job, a dream unfulfilled?

It has taken me just about my entire life to realize that just because God does not show up in the way that I told Him to show up...it does not mean He is not there.

It has taken a lot of prayer and actually putting that prayer into practice for me to wake up to the truth that my plan is actually not the best plan....seemingly safe, perhaps...but not the best.

Does God really know what is best for us?

This is what I will be talking about all day on Instagram today.

The Battle of trusting in his plan.

Can we actually surrender it all to a God who we can not see and will never fully understand?

How can we fight this battle of falling into a place of anger and disappointment when prayers are not answered and plans are not played out as we had prayed for?

Join me today on IG! Looking forward to hearing YOUR thoughts on this battle and how YOU fight it!