Thanking God In Difficult Times

CALL TO PRAYER

By: Stephen Osei Kuffour

Date: 18.08.2024

Title: Thanking God In Difficult Times

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJV)

As Christians, the word of God encourages us to thank God at all times; both in good times and in times of Trial. This is because, “God is good all the time and all the time God is good”. We can all attest to the fact that it is much easier to thank God in good times than in difficult times. When you get that your dream Job, Promotion, Scholarship, Marriage, fruit of the womb, etc., it is easier to sing, worship, praise and appreciate the goodness of God. However, what if the opposite happens and the answers to your prayers delay, will you still appreciate God in the same way?

Let’s look at how our Lord Jesus responded when he faced a difficult situation. We have to know that our Lord Jesus was fully human on earth and so He felt everything we also feel. In John 11, Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, and very good friend of our Lord Jesus died. During this difficult time, none of the people around including Mary and Martha was able to thank God. Mary and Martha first went through a difficult time of delay because they were expecting the Lord Jesus to come earlier (John 11:21,32). We all experience this difficult time of delay. For example, when you are believing God for a Job or Marriage, and all your friends have Jobs and are married but yours seem to be delaying. They also experienced the difficult time of sickness and death of their Brother, and that’s why they couldn’t thank God.

However, when the Lord Jesus arrived, He still thanked God amid all the pain and the difficult time. The results of His thanksgiving and Prayers led to Lazarus being raised from the dead (John 11: 41). In times of Trial, there is always the natural human response of worrying, complaining, or murmuring and that’s how the others reacted. We have to know that this natural human response is not always Spiritual. Our lord Jesus on the other hand responded to the situation in a more spiritual way by thanking God.

To be able to thank God in difficult times, one of the keys is to build yourself up spiritually or become more spiritual (Eph 6:10-18). This is because when you are more spiritual, you respond to a situation in a spiritual way and not in a natural way. For example, in a situation where one has no Money and there is also no one to approach for financial support, a spiritual person will still believe that his/her God will provide and will supply all his/her needs according to His riches in Glory in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19). A spiritual person also understands why God allows His Children to go through difficult times. Therefore, he/she will thank God for the Trial and for the future victory instead of responding in a natural way by worrying, complaining, and murmuring.

One can become more spiritual by praying regularly in Tongues and in words of understanding, reading, studying, meditating, obeying and applying the word of God at all times.

Beloved in the Lord, the natural human response in difficult times is by worrying, drinking, blaming, complaining and murmuring. However, as Christians, we are supposed to respond in a spiritual way by thanking God. To be able to respond in such a way, one has to be more spiritual.

Prayer Point:

Let’s thank God for His Word today. Let’s ask God to comfort and strengthen all Believers around the world who are going through Trials. Let’s also ask God to give every Believer the desire to become more spiritual so we can thank Him even in these difficult times.

God bless you all.

Repost: 28.11.2021