How to Pray When You're Frustrated

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This is the Truth Network encouraging prayer, God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling product and many other books on prayer provides weekly insight help you learn to love and now encouraging prayer are going to be talking about a topic we can all relate to high this is Rachel Torres and today James and I are going to be diving into the challenging topic of frustration and prayer.

James what you want to start great to have you back Robbie retreat for a couple weeks. Have you with yeah let's start by talk about something that happened to be this past week Wheatley had this ongoing Internet problem at the church.

We just got it fixed yesterday, but for the longest time. We had been able to nail it down and we do a lot of meetings online don't have a formal IT person. So this kind of filled me and the longer it went on for about four weeks but let me just ask you this if you ever been on a technical support call with someone in another country in the call drops and you have to start all over again. I've never actually had specific thing happened to me of another one of those calls before, but if it did I mention I would be too happy to be three times so anyhow, after three different technics calls which accomplish very little. I think I got a case number out of it. I find myself fuming in the sanctuary. Why, Lord, I pray this is such a waste of time my time could've been spent on so many other things and you know, I know has an impetuous prayer, but at least it was real. So let's start there. When you frustrated with the situation. You can let God into it by praying about it right then and there that make sense James can't also lead to more frustration. I mean, what are you asking God why and if nothing changes when you go from here so I'm glad you're absolutely right. I think that's really important insight.

Sometimes we just don't get the answer to that question. We think will bring God and then all of a sudden that's right. When it doesn't happen that can be hard on Faith, think about Joe. God never told him why things happen the way they did and were not talking about the earth shattering consequences. He faced like the loss of loved ones grave illness, huge financial setback.

What were talking about. Here's the small stuff you know it feels like I'm being pecked to death by a duck stuff and the challenging thing about this is that Jesus tells us that God cares about the little things in our lives. The smallest thing the hairs on her head are numbered but but here you're dealing with something so small and and maybe you prayed about it beforehand and you're still in the mass and it's like, well, God, where are you doing do you really care and I think we've all been there at one time or another in the situations when you do well, I think the answer is pretty simple, but it's not always easy, especially when you're emotionally upset and have to admit that I'm not very good at this type A personalities that I am I think what we have to do is push pause for a moment, take a deep breath and and just quiet ourselves in God's asking why really doesn't help much.

So just don't go there. That's right.

Take a small step of faith away from the moment and and pray something like Jesus. I received your piece right here right now and I if this to you now.

Practically speaking, it's often on income down the solutions were looking for come to mind exactly and if we run to God in that the solutions are even better because then they'll come from him.

I also think about Psalm 131 where David says my heart is not proud Lord and then he says I called quiet myself on like a weaned child with its mother and he says Israel put your hope in the Lord, both now and forever more.

That's summarizing three verses and there only three verses of Absalom, but it seems like call me down is the main point is this going to God, like David count to three doing it before God is leading him. I like that that's a good reminder for the next time I'm frustrated right thing here is to accept the fact that we don't have all the answers we have to humble ourselves. Life is tough and we need to work through all of our problems with God right there and seems like our natural tendency is to only ask for God's help. Once we got into trouble often like that you got also reminded me of something else about this as well and it is not easy either. At first, once we get the hang of it. It'll help. What's that will I can imagine some of our listeners might want to smack me for saying I didn't want to accept at first, but I had to.

We need to keep thanking God for anything we can think because the challenge when you're dealing with the frustrating problem is that it can become all-consuming is just all you see all you think about that's what I did the other day but but in reality, compared to the other blessings in your life. It really is something small so it may seem large in the moment but thanking God for any good thing helps us put it in perspective and realize how blessed we really are actually really helpful. And you're right it does work yet it does Philippians 4, six and seven, sums it up.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, but we often sort of go over that with Thanksgiving part to quickly and it really is the key. So as we wrap up today I'm going to ask God to help me with this help you with this help our listeners with this let's go there now, Lord, thank you thank you that we can come to you, no matter how were feeling no matter what the circumstances, you are there and ever present help in trouble. So Lord, we ask that you would give us more grace to look to you to let you in to look and listen the solutions you alone can provide. Jesus hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website James Banks.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you to pray.

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