Photo by Andreas Selter on Unsplash

Photo by Andreas Selter on Unsplash

How do you respond when you are experiencing a struggle? Do you quietly pray and ask GOD to show you the way to go or what to do? Or do you search for answers? I’m not sure either is better or worse than the other. It all depends on the situation.

The older I get, the more I think this is not an either/or thing, but a both/and thing. Often, we tend toward one way or the other and miss out on the blessing of the way that stretches us and adds blessing to our lives.

Personally, I’m more of a searcher. I want to dig and find out my answers. But I miss out on the blessings and the relationship of prayer when having hard times and struggles. I tend to go inward and feel very alone during those times. I work hard on thinking through the problem and trying to find the answer I think I need. But walk through a lot of anxiety and loneliness that I don’t need to have.

Are you wired to ask for help or are you wired more to try to search for answers alone first?

I don’t spend as much time in prayer because I’m not wired that way naturally. I’m wired to find a solution so I work hard doing it. I get busy and often miss regular prayer because I am so focused on resolving the the problem and searching for solutions. stop

As a child of GOD, I am learning that He wants me to bring my struggles and concerns to Him. He  can give me insight into the situation that I won’t have on my own. Yes, it is true that I am His child and He is guiding me whether I am praying or not. But prayer makes me more aware of His presence with me.

Is GOD with me? Yes! But prayer makes me more aware of His presence. My working and struggling at problem solving just makes me feel more alone!

I don’t feel as alone in dealing with the problems. I don’t have the feeling that it is all up to me. In the past year or so, I have been finding that I can talk to Him about things I am struggling with and feel the burden lift. I have no idea how the problem will be solved. I just know that He is caring for it.

I still know I am responsible to do the things I need to do. But the times of feeling overwhelmed are less than they were. I can talk about it now. When I was truly overwhelmed, I couldn’t even talk about it!

Searching for solutions includes finding encouragement in GOD’s Word. This is an important part of what we need to think about. His Word plays a huge role in encouraging us.

Which direction do we go? How active do we need to be in resolving the situation? How do we need to pray? These are only a few of the questions we will ask along the way as GOD leads us. I can promise, He will guide us in the way we need to go.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
   He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
   He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
   for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
   I will fear no evil,for you are with me;
Your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in
   the house of the Lordforever.

Psalm 23:1-6 ESV

Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.
 He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31 ESV