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CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Josy and Ruth met up again at Ruth’s house. Josy came with her husband and children. After everyone had eaten, the grown ups sat talking at the patio while the children played and watched TV. Later on, the grown ups took the children for a walk in the neighborhood and when they got back everyone had ice cream and sorbet.

As the sun set on the day, the grown ups were deep in conversation. Ruth had once again brought up an issue that left the others a little worried for her. She had explained to her friends that she was broke and she had decided to sell a property. She had a loan which stressed her and she frequently worried herself about whether she will be able to service it if her business continued struggling. She told them that she was not at peace and she was unable to find peace despite her prayer life.

Josy’s husband, Nathan, explained to Ruth that although the challenges she was facing were big to her, they are very small to God. He told Ruth that what she needs is to continue praying and especially to ask God to help her understand and accept that He is the One in control of her life and not her.

Josy added that life is full of challenges and the solution to all those challenges, no matter what they may be, is prayer.

“Because of the challenges you face Ruth, you need to pray every single day to remind yourself constantly that God is in control and not you,” advised Josy.

“Josy and I pray daily every morning. We wake up an hour earlier and get out of bed and pray sometimes on our feet and sometimes on our knees or both. Each of us prays in his or her own way. And then we say the Our Father together. It’s an amazing feeling to start the day with prayer. Personally I feel relieved after praying. I feel that the Holy Spirit has taken over me and whatever I think, say or do that day will be guided by Him,” testified Nathan

James 5:16 – ………..The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

“I feel the same as Nathan and I also feel assured that whatever happens in my life that day will be controlled by God and so it will all be good,” added Josy.

“I also pray every morning but when my prayers don’t get answered the way I expect or hope, I start to feel discouraged and panicky,” confessed Ruth. “You haven’t told me what I should do about unanswered prayers. It’s all well and good to count my blessings and search for other things that God has done or is doing in my life but honestly, I can’t get my mind off the ones God is not doing anything about!” Exclaimed Ruth.

“Ruth, you already know the answer to your frustration. God never does nothing about anything that matters to His children. You are a parent Ruth. If your child came to you with an important issue that is disturbing him or her, would you refuse to give an answer? Yes, you may be broke and worried that the broke-ness will get worse or that it is here to stay but have you thought that God is allowing your circumstances to stay the same so that you can learn something and be changed yourself? You must remember that God works on us first. Your character and personality are more important to God than your circumstances. He needs you to become the you he created you to be,” responded Nathan.

Matthew 7:9-11 – 9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

“Nathan, thank you so much for helping me remember that I am also a subject of my prayer life. I had forgotten that I still have more to learn and change. It had slipped my mind that God is infinite and I will never be able to say that I have become exactly like Him. I will always be changing and becoming better and better forever. Now please Nathan, help me understand what I need to learn from being broke,” said Ruth.

Josy interjected and told Ruth that what she needs to do is continue to build on her relationship with God through fervent prayer and Bible reading.  As she got to know God better, God would reveal to her what she needed to learn and change.