Latest / HAVE FAITH LET IT BEGIN® / When Your Prayers Go Unanswered Ep 6 of 10 Part Series: Followin Jesus in Real Life

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When Your Prayers Go Unanswered Ep 6 of 10 Part Series: Followin Jesus in Real Life · HAVE FAITH LET IT BEGIN®

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  Hey everyone, this is Angel from Half Faith Let It Begin. Before we start today's
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  episode, don't forget to like, subscribe, and enjoy and share Half Faith Let
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  It Begin with your friends and family because that is the way we continue to spread the word.
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  With that being said, enjoy the series that has been just captivating everywhere
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  all over the podcasting world, following Jesus in real life. I hope you enjoy it.
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  Following Jesus isn't about having all the answers. It's about trusting God one step at a time.
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  Welcome to Following Jesus in Real Life, a special series from Half-Faith,
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  Let It Begin. My name is Angel.
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  Today, and all week, and all year, we're going to have honest conversations
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  about faith, doubt, hope, grace, and what truly means to follow Christ,
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  not just on Sundays, but every single day.
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  Let's walk this journey together, because Half-Faith, Let It Begin starts right now.
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  Welcome to Have Faith, Let It Begin. This is Ariel Santana.
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  Can you believe I'm seven years old already? I'm old enough now to introduce my dad.
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  Ladies and gentlemen, your host, my dad, Angel Santana.
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  He walks the road. Hello, everyone, and welcome to Have Faith,
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  Let It Begin. This is Angel Santana.
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  Today, I'm going to begin with the question that hit close to home.
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  Have you ever prayed with all your heart and nothing seemed to happen?
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  Ooh, there's a question. Maybe you've prayed for healing.
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  Maybe you've prayed for a loved one to come to faith.
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  Maybe you've prayed for a new job, for restored relationships,
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  for direction, or simply for the pain to stop.
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  And after all those prayers, you're still waiting.
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  If you ever wondered why some prayers seem to go unanswered,
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  today's conversation is for you.
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  Let's give you the heart check. Waiting is one of the hardest parts of following Jesus.
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  We don't mind praying. We struggle with waiting.
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  We live in a culture that expects instant gratification, instant results.
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  But faith often grows in the waiting room.
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  Sometimes our greatest spiritual growth happens not after the answer arrives,
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  but while we're learning to trust God before it does.
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  So let's talk about it. There are moments when we pray and receive a clear answer.
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  There are moments when we answer, well, when the answer comes quickly.
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  And then there are moments when heaven seems quiet.
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  Those months can leave us asking God are you really listening the good news
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  is he is God's silence is not proof of his absence,
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  and his delay is not proof of his rejection.
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  Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes it's no, and sometimes it's wait.
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  And while waiting isn't easy, it reminds us that our faith is rooted in God's
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  wisdom, not in our timetable.
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  Here's a biblical perspective. Throughout scripture, we see faithful people
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  who experience months of waiting, years of waiting.
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  Some waited years for promises to be fulfilled.
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  Some prayed through months and months of uncertainty. Even Jesus prayed in the garden.
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  Entrusting himself completely to the Father's will.
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  Those stories remind us that prayer isn't simply about getting what we want.
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  It's about growing closer to the one who hears us.
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  God always hears the prayers of his children, even when his answers is different from what we expected.
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  Let me give you a personal testimony. There have been many prayers,
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  many, and I mean do many, mean many, of my own prayers, my own life that seemed to go unanswered.
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  And at the time, I couldn't understand why.
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  Looking back, I can see that God was shaping my heart while I was asking him
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  to change my circumstances.
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  The waiting wasn't wasted. It taught me patience.
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  It strengthened my trust. It reminded me that God's plans are often bigger than
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  what I can see in the moment.
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  I still don't understand every unanswered prayer, but I've learned I can trust
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  the one who hears every one of them.
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  So how do we live this out? If you're waiting today, don't stop praying.
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  Don't stop trusting. Don't measure God's love by the speed of his answers.
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  Sometimes his greatest gift isn't changing our situation immediately.
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  Sometimes it's changing us as we walk through it.
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  Continue bringing your heart to him. He welcomes every prayer,
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  every tear, every question, every hope.
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  Here's your faith challenge for this week. This week, think about one prayer
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  you've been carrying for a long time.
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  Instead of praying only one.
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  Instead of praying only for the outcome, add this prayer.
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  Lord, while I wait for your answer, help me become more like Christ.
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  That doesn't mean you stop asking. It means you invite God to work in you while
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  he works around you. Think about that one.
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  Let's close this way. An unanswered prayer doesn't mean you've been forgotten.
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  I always say this on this podcast. A day without prayer is a day without power.
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  God sees you. He knows your heart. He hears every whispered prayer.
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  And even when you can't trace his hand, you can trust his heart.
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  Heavenly Father, thank you for hearing our prayers, hearing every prayer we bring before you.
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  When we're tired of waiting, strengthen our faith. When we're discouraged,
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  remind us that you're still at work with us.
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  Help us trust your wisdom even when we don't understand your timing and teach
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  us to keep praying, to keep hoping, and to keep believing that your plans are always good.
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  May our faith grow stronger even in the waiting. In Jesus' name we pray.
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  Amen. Today's takeaway. God may not, oh, sorry, I hit the microphone.
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  God may not answer every prayer the way we expect, but he never ignores the
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  prayers of his children.
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  Thank you for joining me for episode 6 of 10, Following Jesus in Real Life.
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  Remember, waiting isn't wasted when you're walking with God.
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  So keep praying, keep trusting, keep hoping, and never forget to have faith.
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  Let it begin. Coming up next, episode 7 of 10, Stop Trying to Be the Perfect
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  Christian. Ooh, discovering the freedom of God's grace.
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  We'll talk about the pressure many believers feel to have it all together.
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  And how the gospel invites us to stop performing and start resting in God's grace.
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  Because following Jesus isn't about flawless performance. It's about faithful dependence.
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  See you tomorrow. Take care. Have faith.