Have you ever prayed and asked God for something, and immediately it seems like everything goes wrong or gets worse, and everything that you don’t want to happen happens? If you’ve ever felt like this, you’re not alone!

A few months ago, I was on my break at work, and I was talking with God in prayer, and as I was just sitting in His presence, He spoke to me. He said, Daughter, my people seek me in prayer, and I respond to them, but when I answer their prayers, they cry out to me again, asking me to make it stop.

I was in shock, and I asked the Lord what He meant. He said my people pray for strength, so I allow a difficult situation to come their way to strengthen them, but instead of being strong and pressing through, they cry out to me, saying, make it stop, Lord. They pray to grow in love, so I bring people to them who have been written off by the world as “too difficult to love,” yet they come back to me asking me to remove that person from their life. They want to grow in the fruits of the Spirit, yet when I place them in the fire to stretch and mold them, they cry out for me to stop. How can you grow in love if your love is not tested? How can you grow in kindness if your kindness is not tested? How can you grow in patience if your patience is not tested? How can you grow in joy if your joy is not tested? How can you be strong if your strength is not tested?

When I tell you, it took everything in me not to shout in that stairwell at work!!! That hit me, and all I could say was, ” WOW, forgive me, Father!

The Bible tells us that we are tested and tried:

James 1:2-4 ESV
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

1 Peter 1:7 ESV
So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Some of us are stuck in situations because we don’t want to go through anything, but God wants us to walk through the fire so He can refine us, shape us, stretch us, mold us, and purify us! So count at all joy, my sweet sister; when facing various trials, trust that God will see you through. He is our strength when we are weak. So as you are pressed past your comfort zone, trust that the Creator of the universe will lead you through. Be encouraged!