Trusting God through every season, prayer, and the daily walk of worship.
You came in knowing only one Bible story and half a teaching of the church and that is okay. But it is not okay to continue staying at that level of ignorance, there is a need to grow. You knew nothing about church structure and leadership and that was okay at that time but not several years later since you came into the church. You need to grow!
This is not a call for us to go and provoke people and situations to bring us suffering so that we claim to be really expressing love and commitment. This is suffering that is inevitable and not invited suffering. It is foolish to invite suffering. Not all love is worth suffering for. Teenage love affairs are not the stuff worth suffering for. Dating and courtship love affairs are not worth suffering for. If you suffer before marriage you will suffer excessively in marriage. Do not suffer, instead, you should quit that affair with immediate effect. Suffering in marriage as a victim of domestic violence is not the stuff being promoted here. Domestic violence is destructive to the victim and even fatal, in the name of Jesus, do not suffer, run out of that trap, run for your life. Not all suffering should be condoned and commended.
Bad employers and bosses intimidate workers. Business competitors intimidate others out of business. Bad marriages and relationships that are abusive are based on intimidation. Bad religions and faith keep people in by intimidation. It is not God’s will that any one of us should live in fear. Even God does not intimidate us, who else should? Do not be intimidated!
Since each community has its own way of life based on beliefs, experiences, and practices, we should note that Christianity is also a community of believers. Christianity has a way of life that is based on beliefs of what the Bible teaches. The way of life promotes the core beliefs.
Apostle Paul is sure that since the church is praying and since God has power, nothing is impossible. All the pain and difficulties that he has gone through and are now in the past, can still change and be a blessing that will bring him deliverance. Paul is so sure that God can change what is happening now and even what happened and got settled in the past. What has already happened can still change!
Whether your prayers are answered or not. Whether your dreams come true or not. Whether issues are resolved or not. Whether you experience a happy life or not. Whether lonely, single, and desperate or not. Whether in need or not. Whichever way it goes don’t lose focus!
Would you exchange this God-given power for any other limited ordinary powers on earth? Would you risk losing this God-given power just to gain the highly limited financial power or whatever else power? Power to raise the dead and place them in eternal life in heaven. Power to place someone at the right hand of God. If you had this power, would you need more?
Who sent you into that profession? Did you pray for God’s guidance or it was an arrangement and wish of your relatives? Who sent you to that relationship? Your desires? Convenience? Desperation? Or did you pray about it? Who sent you into that marriage? Unexpected pregnancy? Unemployment? Advancing age? Or did you pray for God’s will to be clear on that marriage? Be very clear on who sent you!
The troubles were so great that none of them even saw which miracle would get them out of it. The troubles were so great that praying for salvation seemed like a waste of prayer. It seemed too late to be saved. It seemed like one was tempting God if they prayed for salvation from that situation. It was so bad, that faith required accepting death. They were overwhelmed!