[Below are four tips for how to stand in faith for hard things and impossible situations –6 minute read.]
“There will be waves in ten minutes,” my husband said as we watched a large boat three miles away pass in front of us.
The water looked calm as glass.
But sure enough, ten minutes later, after we got busy with other things and almost forgot about the boat, waves began to roll ashore.
This little incident reminded me that God’s nature and invisible qualities can be seen in the principles of nature (Rom 1:20).
Often it takes time for things done in the Spirit to manifest in the natural.
The waves came ashore long after the boat had passed.
Likewise, when we pray, things are accomplished in the unseen realm, although we may or may not see the answer immediately in the natural.
In those times when we don’t see answers quickly, unwavering faith becomes crucial.
The Apostle Paul tells us when we have done all we know to do, we are to stand firm, unshakable.
We learn to stand strong in faith to see our God work the impossible.
Here are four tips for how to stand in faith through any difficult circumstance.
“and having done all, to stand firm” (Eph 6:13 ESV).
1. Don’t Give Up Before It’s Truly Over
Firstly, when we stand in faith for the impossible, it is important to not give up on God before He says it’s over.
It is important for us not to judge a thing before it’s time (1 Cor 4:5). His time is not our time.
If we had initially judged that boat situation, we would have assumed it did not affect us.
We would have assumed it did not produce waves.
But the whole boat/waves incident was not over, even when the boat had passed by.
It looked like the situation was over, but the waves were on their way to us.
It seems to be God’s nature to wait past what we consider the last possible minute before he swoops in to do what He said.
Remember Lazarus? When Jesus arrived, Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. There was no mistake God Himself miraculously raised Lazarus from the dead.
We all are believing for answers to difficult or even dead situations.
When the answer comes in these impossible situations, God’s glory is shown. Then we know God brought a miracle, and the answer was not from anything we could have imagined or accomplished.
We learn that all our attempts to fix things in our human strength fail and we come to rely completely on God.
God works on many different levels of an impossible situation to do a greater work than we understand.
For example, Moses and all the people were trapped at the Red Sea without an escape route.
Not only did the people miraculously escape, but their enemy was completely destroyed in the process.
This miraculous event set Israel up for the next phase in God’s timeline in history.
When God does a thing, He does it right!
In the Bible, faith and patience (endurance) go together. So do not give up on what you are believing for until God says it is over.
We can be imitators of those faithful saints through the ages who through faith and patience inherited their promises (Heb 6:12).
✔What are you standing in faith for? Allow God to stretch your thinking to include a greater result. Ask God for greater vision, greater faith, and greater strength to believe for the impossible.
2. Go Back to What God Has Said
Secondly, what has God said about your impossible situation? It is difficult to stand strong in faith when we do not know what God has said.
In these times, the only rock of truth is God’s nature, what He has said in the Bible, and what He has said to you, personally.
What has He promised you, personally?
See A Surefire Way to Hear God’s Voice Right Now
Sometimes answers to prayers come quickly, yet sometimes we must wait. In those waiting times, continue to believe God’s word to you, and also do what you know to do.
I had an incurable neurological condition for twenty years. God told me early on, “I’m going to heal you.” I believed and believed, and the condition continued to get worse. Then He said, “Go to the doctor. He will help you until I heal you.”
I kept believing, praying, and resisting, and asked every healing evangelist I met to pray for me.
I did all I knew to do and refused to give up until one day I received my healing promise.
We will reap in due season if we do not faint or give up on God. Remember what He has promised to you!
✔What has God said to you? What has the Bible said? Remind God of His promises and words to you. Sometimes we forget to ask Him questions about our concerns and the things we don’t understand. We fuss and fume and forget He wants to communicate with us! Ask and believe He will speak in some way to you!
3. Stand in Faith by Feeding Your Mind
On the lake in the middle of dark, thunderous skies, Peter temporarily lost sight of Jesus and the word Jesus spoke to him, “Don’t be afraid. . . Come” (Matt 14:22-24).
Our mind can be swayed by the dark whirlwind of words and situations around us, and it is easy to sway from God’s words to us.
To Peter’s credit, he quickly cried out, “Lord save me!”
It is important when we are standing in faith to fill our minds with God’s words and not negative words or people.
God’s nature is good! He wants to do good things for you, your community, and for the world around us.
We can be stand in the middle of a terrifying situation and know the absolute truth of God’s love for us. We can hold Jesus’ hand through the middle of trouble knowing He will lead us to safety.
So, when you have done all you know to do, you simply stand strong, don’t be afraid, and move toward Jesus.
We can stand strong in faith for the impossible when we feed our mind with faith filled words.
✔Are you having trouble remaining strong in faith? Ask God for encouragement, grace, and ministering spirits to help you. Then feed your mind with God’s word, prayer, praise, and remember to be thankful.
“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised” (Heb 10:36).
4. Stand in Faith by Abiding in God’s Presence
Fourthly, I have found in times of contradiction and confusion, or times when I am disappointed or hurt, if I can find my way back into the arms of Jesus, I will be ok.
His presence washes over my soul and brings refreshing, strength, and clarity. In His presence we find all we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).
You can stand strong in faith for the impossible when you continue to abide in God’s presence.
In which ways do you feel God’s presence the most? When do you feel the most at peace? Is it in nature? In worship? Seek to know God’s presence more.
In conclusion, I pray that God will strengthen you to believe for very hard things.
Friends, keep believing in His goodness and know that the prayers you pray are accomplishing much in the unseen realm!
God is sending answers in many different ways and is working in all the people who are connected to the answers.
The waves are coming your direction and bringing miracles with them.
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