As a Christian woman for over twenty-three years, I'm going to be perfectly honest with you. I believe that prayer can move mountains. I've seen in my own life miracles unfold from the power of prayer. Yet when our lives unravel, we can feel as if our prayers are reaching a dead end. We question why God has not come through for us.
It's during these stressful moments when we're facing great opposition that we sincerely don't want to be told some flippant remark, such as, "Worry less and pray more." When we've already been fervently praying, crying out to the Lord for provision, and there's no resolution in sight, the last thing we need is criticism or judgment.
The truth is that the winding road to deeper faith is hard. The struggle is real. We experience unexpected twists and turns. We end up in dirty ditches. It's lonely. It's dark. We become powerless. And sometimes our prayers are not answered. At least for now they are not.
Have you been there before? Perhaps, you've asked God for clarity or direction when you have come upon a bump in your path? Sometimes these potholes cause us to wonder if we're on the right road. Or we think that we must have gotten lost along the way.
When we stumble into a pit and are powerless to save our own selves, we have two choices: We can remain stuck or we can look to God's Word, which is like a GPS to find our way back on track. The Bible verses comfort us when we feel weak and powerless. "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT)
Today, whatever your path looks like, whether it's smooth sailing or you're stumbling along a painful detour, God can use everything, including our dirty ditches, to deepen our faith. When we're traveling winding roads of uncertainty, He has a plan for every step. We may be trekking toward a new job or hobbling in a rocky marriage, but no matter where we're headed, the Lord is aware of every twist and turn. Although we may not always avoid craters along our path, we can be sure that God can make our paths straight in His perfect timing.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6 NRSV)