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Refreshment in Refuge

    by Gina Burgess

It should be enough
Date Posted: April 26, 2015

How marvelous God is to give us just what we need when we need it for encouragement and strength and a hearty boost when we feel our lowest.Then sometimes we look around and wonder, "Where is God? Why isn't He answering my prayers?"

Is it so bad to want to see results of prayer?

We just cannot know or understand God's ways. We ask, and we receive. Then we ask, and then we receive. It seems to be a results motivated prayer life.

Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." Why isn't that enough?

We are told in many different ways, but most clearly through Paul to, worry over nothing, to pray about everything.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6

That instruction at first glance implies that God answers all prayer in the affirmative. When we pray about everything, why do we anxiously tell God how to handle our problems? Why do we give Him directives on how to fix things to our satisfaction?

Of course, we're the ones down here in the trenches fighting the good fight, running the good race, getting our knees scraped and our noses bloodied. We know what we need, and we intimately know our own problems, so we have the right to tell God what He should do about the problems, correct? Being specific about everything in our prayers and supplication. With thanksgiving, of course, because He is God and He can fix everything.

But wait! What's the rest of it?

and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

That doesn't say our prayers will be answered our way, This isn't a fast food line where we can have it our way because we deserve a break today. That second, incredibly important part promises peace in our hearts and minds. How is peace an answer to prayer?

It is rather difficult to just let go and let God. What if He doesn't pay any attention to what's really going on in the trenches? What if He doesn't fix the problem? Gracious, what if He doesn't make the problem disappear, or what if He doesn't remove us from the situation? What if we have to walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death?

We fear no evil.

The mature Christian should be able to leave everything in God's hands and be comfortable with how He answers our prayers. God showed me in no uncertain terms that His will is done for those who love Him. And sometimes... sometimes He is waiting on us to conform to His desires and to let go of our desires.

It all boils down to Trust. We know our God has plans not to harm us, but absolutely for plans for our good. There is no way life can go wrong when we trust and obey. It's just those trials and painful tribulations, and that fear of unknown stuff in that dark valley of death we must walk through that gets us all twisted into knots.

Fear no evil. Fear nothing because God is in control.

Has He ever failed me? Never.

Will He ever fail me? Never.

That must be enough. Take another breath. Live another day. See the sun, feel the rain and it will be glorious for all our troubles are nothing to His power and His love.

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD rejoices over you. He will quiet you with His love. Or as The Message puts it, Your GOD is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, he'll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs.

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"Refreshment in Refuge" from Gina Burgess

The Servant Leader

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Biography Information:

Gina Burgess has taught Sunday School and Discipleship Training for almost three decades. (Don't tell her that makes her old.) She earned her Master's in Communication in 2013.

She is the author of several books including: When Christians Hurt Christians, The Crowns of the Believers and others available in online bookstores. She authors several columns, using her God-given talent to shine a light in a dark world. You can browse her blog at Refreshment In Refuge.

If you'd like to take a look at some Christian fiction and Christian non-fiction book reviews check out Gina's book reviews at Upon