When The Mountain Won't Move

I am reading a book called "Breakthrough Prayer" by Jim Cymbala - he's the one that wrote "Fresh Wind Fresh Fire" a few years ago and I always love his books on prayer because they attest to the miraculous ways that God answers prayer. Anyway, this latest book has really spoken to me and I want to share a section of one chapter called "When the Mountain Won't Move." I have a mountain in my life right now that is not moving and I praise God for bringing me this message of truth and hope:

"Times of trial and difficulty remind us of two great challenges regarding the prayer of faith. The first challenge is to believe that no situation, however evil or entrenched, is beyond the scope of prayer. In theory, we know that God can do anything, but many of us fail to trust him when it comes time to pray for specific people or situations. Instead of looking to the Lord for help, we keep our eyes on the problem, which grows bigger the longer we gaze at it. We don't pray seriously about such problems because they just seem too big, too hard, or too complex for prayer to resolve.

Though we may mentally affirm the promises of Scripture, we fail to lean on them. Reluctant to come before the throne of grace to receive the help God promises, we worry, complain, live in fear and depression, ask others for advice - anything and everything but go to the Lord in prayer. (Or we mouth prayers but, all the time, not expecting God to answer, we're just paying lip service (this is added by me)).

The second hurdle is the waiting. Most of us hate to be kept waiting for an answer to prayer. We've asked the Lord to intervene, and we want immediate results. What's taking Him so long? We feel as though we're holding on for dear life, but the situation hasn't changed one iota. In fact, it's gotten worse! How long do we have to wait? Is God even interested in us? Does He care about our problem?

Without learning the secret of how to wait in faith, many of us become spiritually fatigued as we pray. We may start doubting whether God's promises apply to this particular situation. Instead of entertaining this as a reasonable doubt, we need to realize that we are encountering an area of spiritual warfare not often discussed.

God wants you to know that His answers are always worth waiting for! But remember, while you're waiting, Satan might whisper that you are alone and forsaken. Keep holding on to the Lord today no matter how you feel, no matter how bad things get.

If you have been waiting for an answer to prayer for a long time, remember that long waits often occur right before the biggest mountains come down. Keep praying and don't give in to the doubt or fear that tells you "this situation is impossible" or "that person will never change" or "it's just too late." Instead of letting Satan have the last word in the battle to believe, speak it yourself, borrowing from God's own word in Scripture: "the Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all He has made." Psalm 145:13"

I hope this thrills your heart, just like it did mine.....Praise God from whom all blessings flow.