In episode 135, “Pray with Unwavering Confidence”, we discuss how to faithfully pray, even when we don’t see or feel the positives. Good news! God has a plan and He is always working things together for our good. Hear about this more in this week’s episode! We begin our book study mini series over Autumn Miles’ Gangster Prayer in episode 131. Learn how to relentlessly pursue God with passion and great expectation.
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God’s Not Mean
Why would a good God let bad things happen? How could He allow pain if He loves us? Ever had those thoughts before? These are common lies we have to fight. Satan wants us to think God’s the mean guy who’s full of rules and “no’s”. We pray and pray and hear…nothing. But, is that even true? This is what we want you to learn how to pray with unwavering faith by tuning into this week’s episode.
Fight this lie when it comes to your prayer life: God says no to my prayers because He’s angry and punishing me. We’ve all had our shouting “Why, God?!” moments, but it’s not because He’s the bad guy, He’s actually the good guys who is working all things to our benefit. Discipline is a form of love. If we’re on the wrong path, we want God to help us turn and head back in a direction that helps us grow closer to Him. Wouldn’t you do the same thing for your children?
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
Romans 8:28
At Witty & Gritty, we always encourage you to read your Bible and hear firsthand who God is. Look in the scripture and see the characteristics of God. After all, the Bible is one big story of God’s love for us. If you are in the valley, hurting, lost, or in despair, God’s got your back. God doesn’t waste a hurt, and if God is saying “no” to you in a particular request, there is good reason for it.
In episode 135, we talk about practical ways to surround yourself in prayer, wisdom, and God’s truths. Be sure to scroll back up and take a listen. You can pray by yourself, in a small group, as a giant group, and you can even have people pray on your behalf. Boldly pray for your yes, but humbly submit to God’s no if that’s what’s best for His glory. God’s way will always turn out better than our way. If God’s answer is a no, start praying for your heart to change and have those emotions catch up.
“But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'”
James 4:6
Unwavering Prayer
We’ve talked about praying with patience, praying with specifically, and praying persistently. And we’ll say it again! We want you to fight this lie when it comes to your prayer life: “I shouldn’t have to keep praying for the same thing. God should have heard me the first time.” Ouch! First of all, we know for a fact that God hears every prayer.
Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:12-13
In episode 135, “Pray with Unwavering Confidence”, we talk about the widow who persistently prayed, and how even a bad judge still made the good decision based off her persistency (Luke 18). We challenge you to put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-18), and stand firm with persistent praying. God hears you, so pray with full confidence that God will give you good gifts. Continue to pray even though it’s difficult. We even discuss the age-old question: When do I know it’s a closed door, or when do I need to kick the door in?
Here are some tips to help you pray with unwavering confidence:
- silence every human trait that could influence you
- think, “Why am I asking for this?”
- focus on God’s character traits by reading the Bible
- confirm what God is telling your through scripture
Gut check time! Is the only reason to quit praying for what you’re praying for is just your timeline? The thing you want isn’t happening when you want? Be sure to check yourself. We are all guilty of trying to get God to operate on our timeline when we know deep down that His timeline is best.
Faithful, consistent, unwavering prayer will pay off. If you’re weary, tired, or it’s too difficult to continue praying, know that God’s got your back and through Him you can keep praying (Philippians 4:13). Bonus tip! We can all get exhausted from having prayers on repeat, so get someone to intercede on your behalf. Yes, this takes vulnerability. You can do it. Persistent prayer honors God, and deliberate prayer practice gets you better at praying!
There is power in prayer, and there is power in having other Christians praying for you too. Have your community rally around you. Make the decision to pray until God comes through, changes the circumstance, or changes your heart to desire His plan. Start thanking God that that already happening! Praying like this shows our faith and dedication to God. We challenge you to think of what’s holding you back from praying persistently and tackling that with God’s truth!
We hope you enjoyed episode 135, “Pray with Unwavering Confidence” and that you have practical, actionable steps you can take. Be sure to check out this entire Gangster Prayer mini series about relentlessly pursuing God with passion and great expectation. You can do this! We’re here to help. Click the affiliate image below to get your copy of Autumn Miles’ book.
Links From the Show
- Book Gangster Prayer by Autumn Miles
- Gangster Prayer Mini Series
- 21 Kicks Journals
- The Bible Recap Podcast
- The Bible Recap Book
- Tara-Leigh Cobble’s Episode 81
- Paul’s episode #51
- Daily Audio Bible
- CLife Youtube
- The Bible Project Youtube
- Daring Greatly Mini Series
- Get Out of Your Head Mini Series
- Switch On Your Brain Mini Series
- Atomic Habits Mini Series
- Lisa’s episode 126
