Christians could support a brash man with fewer morals than what a non-Christian deemed as a Christian . One thing I have learned is no one is more Christian than another , and no one is getting to Heaven any quicker than another . And when it comes to prayer , the Book 1 Thessalonians , Chapter 5 , Verses 16-18 says ,
“ Rejoice always , pray continually , give thanks in all circumstances ; for this is God ’ s will for you in Christ Jesus .”
Our struggles are only part of who we are , but struggling is something uncommonly seen on the faces of people today . I ’ m not saying we do not struggle , I am saying we hide our struggles . We live in a world of fast food , fast cars , and fast living . Therefore , when prayer is the only option , time becomes a setting on a watch , on a Fitbit , or continual question of how long ? No one remembers there is an art to praying or that prayer is in fact , a journey . Remembering the words of our Unanswered Prayer author :
“ Ours is a culture of instant results , instant success , and instant gratification . But “ instant ” rarely applies to prayer , which is more like planting a tree than sowing a new lawn . It takes time to learn how to pray , to mature in prayer , to see the results of prayer . We can ’ t be in a hurry . It takes a long time for a seedling to become a sturdy tree . Lack of patience and persistence , so common in popular culture inhibits our growth in prayer . Prayer is an epic journey . It unfolds over a huge landscape over a long period of time .”
We should persist in prayer even if our prayers go unanswered . You see , our struggles do not define us , but they do open our souls to desperation . Some refer to this deep emotional place we must reach as “ Ground Zero .” When we are desperate , this is when we listen , and this is when we are closest to God . Our emotions seem to pour from our soul . And the Psalms are where we learn to express our feelings , the good and the bad . In Psalms , Chapter 6 , Verses 6-8 :
“ I am worn out from my groaning . All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears . My eyes grow weak with sorrow ; they fail because of all my foes . 8 Away from me , all you who do evil , for the LORD has heard my weeping .”
And further in Psalms , Chapter we find Jesus reaching out in desperation to the Lord :
“ My God , my God , why have you forsaken me ? Why are you so far from saving me , so far from my cries of anguish ? My God , I cry out by day , but you do not answer , by night , but I find no rest . When Jesus said “ but I find no rest ,” how did this make you feel ? Knowing HIS pain and HIS trials and tests , knowing HIS persecution , HIS faith ? Did it leave ? No one could give him the answer needed , less our Father . Perhaps some of the people who are searching for answers in the streets or the media are not desperate enough , yet .”
There was another Twitter response , and I want to address it . The man , who was speaking out for his family explained that his wife was an immigrant who came to this country as a political refugee . He feared for friends and relatives , and he also feared for honest , hard-working people like her . Perhaps he feels as Christians , we should all support immigrants , refugees , and his wife . Maybe others feel Christians aren ’ t providing support to the refugees or immigrants ? Maybe Christians believe we should help immigrants and refugees , some immigrants and refugees , or immigrants and refugees who are like this man ’ s wife , pursued a green card , took an oath , and became a citizen . As a Christian though , faith lies in God and trusting HIM to guide us . That does not mean agreeing with this order or not ; it only means trusting that God will lead us to what we should do . Praying for HIM to guide us , for some that could mean as attorneys to help people in need or law enforcement officers to do their job , TSA ’ s to carry out their work , or CEO ’ s of companies to do what they can .
We are faced with intolerance . We are confronted with people rebelling against Christianity . We have individuals in pain . We have people living in fear . As a Christian , we have faith . When I think of faith , I think of faith that can move mountains . Many people get their faith mixed up . They connect their faith through others , like celebrities , or brands . Once the glamour fades , though , so will that faith . For instance , the people I men-