I’ve been on a journey this past
year. I reached a valley in the first
few months of this year with my career.
Not only did I feel I had hit a plateau, but I also became unsatisfied
with the way my manager was coaching and directing my career path – there was
no motivation for me to continue to work for an employer who was not going to
value what I had to offer. I had reached
my last straw after I spoke to my boss and realized weeks later that while she
promised to be a better manager, nothing had changed. I was so ready to throw in the towel and
quit. I was upset and I dwelled on my
unhappy situation trying to find a quick solution to my problem. And then after all my options failed
miserably, I allowed God to take over and what a relief that was. 1 Peter 5:7-11 says “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of
sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls
around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith,
because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is going the
same kind of sufferings. And the God of
all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have
suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and
steadfast. To him be the power forever
and ever. Amen.”
I had to hold on to God’s promises day after day, even on
days where it seemed like his promise would never come. I knew that my God would turn my test into a
testimony and that is exactly what he did.
Do you trust that God is for you
even when He doesn’t give you what you asked for? – Mark Batterson, The Circle
Maker
For my birthday, one of my good friends bought me a
journal. The cover reads, “Let your
faith be bigger than your fear.” I didn’t
realize it at the time, but that would be my motto in the upcoming months. I didn’t tell many people, but I actually
resigned from my job in February. I read
the book “Produced by Faith” by Devon Franklin and within the first chapter I
felt the Holy Spirit speak to me. “Resign.” My husband was in the shower and when he came
out, I told him we needed to talk. Tears
streamed down my face as I read the chapter to him. Here I was making a decision to resign with
no plan B, no safety net – all I had was my faith. I had finally let go and let God.
Take a step of faith when God
gives you a vision because you trust that the One who gave you the vision is
going to make provision. And for the
record, if the vision is from God, it will most definitely be beyond your
means. – Mark Batterson, The Prayer Circle
I felt a big weight lifted off my shoulders once that decision
was made. My parents thought I was crazy.
“What are you thinking? You need
your job.” “Mom/Dad, I am going to be
fine. Really I am.” My mom was so worried, but you know what
happened? She text me one day, “Vickie,
I was praying for you this morning and I felt God tell me that everything was
going to be alright.” For me that was more
confirmation, but I had my mind made up, my heart was at peace and I knew God
would provide a way.
Faith is willingness to look
foolish. – Mark Batterson, The Circle Maker
When I gave my boss my resignation letter, it didn’t go down
so smoothly, in fact she was very defensive.
God gave me the courage to speak my mind and voice all my concerns and
let my boss know all the things that I could never say. After a few meetings and having her
apologize, she asked me if I would reconsider my resignation. I ultimately did only because I felt change was
actually going to happen, not just for me but for my coworkers who were also
unhappy.
Sometimes the power of prayer is
the power to carry on. It doesn’t always
change your circumstances, but it gives you the strength to walk through
them. When you pray through, the burden
is taken off your shoulders and put on the shoulders of Him who carried the
cross to Calvary. – Mark Batterson, The Circle Maker
During this time, I was also reading “The Prayer Circle 40
day Prayer Challenge”. There is a quote in
this book that says, “It’s not just where you end up that’s important; it’s how
you get there. Goal setting begins and
ends with prayer.” If I wanted God to
show up in my life I had to do something different. I needed to pray bold prayers and I needed to
stay focused on spending more time with him.
Yes, I go to church every week, but my relationship with God shouldn’t
begin and end on Sunday. God wants us to
talk to Him about everything. The good
days, the bad days and everything in between.
He wants to remain #1 in our lives and to create a closer bond, we must
seek Him. I also kept a journal through
my prayer challenge and I took things up a notch by fasting from sweets (my
biggest weakness). After the 40 days
passed, I wish I could say a great miracle happened on the 40th day,
but it did not. Instead I decided to
start all over. Currently I’m on day 30
of my second go round.
Many people never see God part
the Jordan River in their lives because their feet are firmly planted on dry
ground. We’re waiting for God to make a
move while God is waiting for us to make a move. We say to God, “Why don’t you part this
river?” And God says to us, “Why don’t you get your feet wet?” But if you make a move, you’ll see God
move. And He can move heaven and earth.”
– Mark Batterson, The Prayer Circle
Here we are months later and an opportunity arose clearly
out of the blue. I went ahead and
applied. Two phone interviews and two in
person interviews later, I am elated to announce that I was offered the
position. It makes me cry just thinking
about my journey. Months ago, I was so
miserable, looking for every and any job to apply to just so I could get out of
here. Nothing. No call backs. Nothing.
I was so upset. God where are
you? The funny thing is He was there all
along, I was just trying to do things my way.
I had a lot to learn these past months.
His timing was perfect and as much as I may, I will never forget Habakkuk
2:3 “Though it linger, wait for it; it
will certainly come and will not delay.”
When you pray regularly, you
never know when God will show up or speak up.
Today could be the day. When you
live in prayer mode, you live with holy anticipation. You know that coincidences are
providences. Any moment can turn into a
holy moment. God can invade the reality
of your life at three o’clock one afternoon and change everything. – Mark Batterson,
The Prayer Circle
Every gift that comes from God is worth waiting for. Be encouraged and wait patiently on the
Lord. Trust in Him and he will work
things out. It won’t always be the
answer you want, but God has a way of working all things out for good. God is faithful, trust in Him and His perfect
timing.
I promise you this; God is ready
and waiting. So while I have no idea
what circumstances you find yourself in, I’m confident that you are only a
prayer away from a dream fulfilled, a promise kept, or a miracle performed. –
Mark Batterson, The Prayer Circle
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