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PART ONE
I do not know about you, but in my walk with God, many times I have experienced that there is a stillness between me and God. Not because anything is wrong or I have done something wrong, or that He is not doing something right according to me, but it is just that I experience His stillness. Maybe you have never experienced it, but I have. I must say that in this time I never find myself to be far from God or that He is removed from me.
Some people say that they pray, and it feels to them that their prayers only hit the ceiling, and that is not what I am referring to. In fact, I have never in my life experienced that God is not there or that He is not listening to my prayers and that He had left me. What I am trying to say is that a lot of people would request me to pray and intercede with them. I do believe that it is a gift that God has given me as I can pray and fast for days.
I have often found that people ask me to pray, and as I pray, I can see how God moves through prayer and faith in their lives. Then I come back to my own house and not necessarily my physical house, but to who I am in my direct family and with prayer and petition for them, I see how God moves in their lives. This is amazing and I glorify God for it.
But I often find that when I pray for myself and for things about my own life, like my health, or something that I am awaiting an answer on, then God is still. Maybe it only happens to me, but I often find that difficult. I will go to God and say to Him that I do not understand why He answers me for other people’s requests, but He does not answer me for me. The truth is that even then, most of the time, He is still.
I know God is real and He hears us, for He is answering other people’s prayer requests that I put before Him, and it is not like I can ask Him what is wrong, as nothing is wrong. Afterall, I have experienced Him like that for most of my life. Although it has not been easy, in my walk with God and through many of my life experiences, I have grown in faith to trust Him in the stillness.
When you pray for and with other people, you execute exactly what it says in James 5:16, that the prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. So, you pray in faith and walk away. You believe that the person is healed or will receive the breakthrough that they are trusting God for. Then, you hear their testimonies, and you might wonder why? You see dear reader, the prayer was prayed in faith, trusting God unconditionally, hence leaving it in His hands.
However, when it comes to us, whether feeling sick, having financial or other needs, and having to make important decisions, we pray, give it to God, and take it back by worrying or pushing for an immediate breakthrough. Instead of praying like how we pray for other people and then let it go, we keep on taking it back. We pray, about it repeatedly, and yes, God does say in His Word that we can come to Him with prayer and petition. There is nothing wrong with that, but to doubt and keep on taking it back to resolve it by ourselves, is hampering the breakthrough for which you are waiting.
What is important is that we need to pray daily and when we place things of our lives in God’s hands, we need to start saying thank You Lord that it is in Your hands and that we already say thank You for the Godly breakthrough at the right time. No doubt and no fear, but only in His way, His will and in His time.
PART TWO
Matthew 6:33 says that we need to first seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness, and the rest will be given to us as well. Off course we need to know that it must fit into His will for us. Let me share a testimony with you.
My husband and I have been praying about something extremely specific regarding our future and we have been waiting for months to get an answer. Multiple times in a day, we would go before God and say that time is running out and that we really need an answer as what is decided on, will have a ripple effect on other important decisions that needed to be made.
Well, after months, we did not get an answer and God was incredibly quiet even though we were seeking His face in fasting and prayer. Yes, doubt creeped in, because so many things were riding on this one decision. We read His Word and claimed it over our situation, but still, nothing! We specifically prayed John 15:7 into our situation that says that if we remain in God and He in us, we can ask Him anything. Yes, this is true, but we must always remember that we must and should always want His will above our own.
We both knew that what we asked for, would benefit us financially, but do you know what? God did not answer us and no matter what we tried; we simply did not get a response. Now let me just say that although we asked God for what we wanted, we always asked Him for His will above our own and if it were not meant for us, that He would please close the door.
As much as we wanted as per our original request, we did not want it to be outside His Master Plan and will for our lives. Months went by and when we finally received a letter to say that our request was not approved, we both, instantaneously experienced a peace beyond human understanding.
Now everything I shared seems easy but trust me it meant having to lay it all down at His feet and then continue with our lives for months until an answer came. All we did was saying thank You Lord we trust Your will.
So sometimes, well actually every time we give something to God, we need to hand it over in faith and take a step back, waiting on Him in faith. Remember even if you do not get a reply, then you already have an answer.
We must never force God’s hand and then use His Word to try and get what we want. This is wrong. Yes, He says that we do not get because we do not ask correctly. We then ask differently. He says we should wait on Him, and we do wait, but then keep on taking it back.
He says we can petition before Him, but we often petition with our own selfishness because we want to force our will. You see, in all of this we forget that we said to God that we want His will to be done. So, was it really that God was still, or did we already have the answer?
I think by then we already had the answer. Often, God does not say anything, because we already have the answer, but choose not to receive it with our spirit ears.
PART THREE
Mark 4:35 – 41 says: “That day when evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took Him along, just as He was, in the boat. There were also other boats with Him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to His disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!””
Let this sink in for a moment. To us it sometimes feels like everything is falling apart, but it is not! It is not falling apart but into place. When we think it is the end of the world in whatever challenge we are facing, Jesus is right there with us and the fact that He is still, does not mean that He does not hear us.
We must learn to have faith and trust Him in the stillness because He has the answer. Did Jesus leave them in the storm? No! He was in the boat with them. Did the boat sink? No! Was the storm raging? Yes! We must realise just like when Jesus was in the boat and they thought He did not hear or care, He was in fact present in His stillness. He wants us to trust Him in the stillness.
Psalm 46:10 says that we must be still and know that He is God. He will be exalted among the nations. He will be exalted in the earth. We call on this Scripture many times for many things, but you can apply this today in your life, no matter that for which you are waiting. Remember, even if God does not reply, you might have received your answer already.
When you must decide on something and you give it over to God and do not experience Godly peace, then you in fact already have received your answer. Furthermore, when you are in God’s Word and in Him, and continue to seek Him, He is right there with you in the boat when storms are raging. You must trust Him that the storm will not overwhelm you, and if your boat needs to steer into a different direction, let it be. Trust God, for He will never steer you in the wrong direction if you put your faith and trust in Him.
In a song sung by Hillsong it says: “Be still and know that the Lord is in control. Be still my soul. Stand and watch as giants fall. I will not be afraid for You are here. You silence all my fear. I won’t be afraid. You don’t let go. Be still my heart and know I won’t be afraid. Be still and trust what the Lord has said is done. Find rest. Do not strife.
Watch as faith and grace align. Surely love and mercy, Your peace and kindness will follow me. Your love surrounds me, surrounds me here. Yes, You are here Jesus. Your Holy Spirit is here. You lead us by still waters Jesus. You prepare a table in the presence of our enemies. You can say that surely love, surely mercy will follow us for all our days. We trust in You.”
What is it that you are trusting God for today? Do you feel that He is not hearing you and not responding to you? Be encouraged today that when God is still, it does not mean that He is not present. If you are saved in Christ, He is inside of you, and you must trust Him. He speaks in many ways such as nature, His Word, and other people. But also remember that He speaks in the stillness. Trust Him in the stillness!