1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:07,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:16,640 Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to your Daily Prayer, a podcast 3 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:19,439 Speaker 2: dedicated to helping you find the words you need to 4 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 2: connect with your Father in Heaven. No matter what is 5 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,319 Speaker 2: going on in your life today, you can trust that 6 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 2: God wants to hear from you. 7 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: Right after this short word from. 8 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 2: Our sponsor, we will pray through today's prayer to allow 9 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 2: doubt to strengthen your faith. Together a prayer to allowed 10 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 2: doubt to strengthen your faith, written by Laura Bailey read 11 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:04,759 Speaker 2: by Kirie No, in all things we are more than 12 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 2: conquerors through Him. 13 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:06,679 Speaker 1: Who loved us. 14 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 2: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither 15 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 2: angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor 16 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:19,959 Speaker 2: any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in 17 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:23,039 Speaker 2: all creation will be able to separate us from the 18 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 2: love of God that is in Christ Jesus Our Lord, 19 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 2: Romans eight, verses thirty seven through thirty nine. I have 20 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 2: always been someone who asks why why are we going 21 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 2: this way? 22 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:39,960 Speaker 1: Why are we doing this? Why did you want me 23 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: to do that? 24 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 2: I want assurance that the result is worth it before 25 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 2: I invest my time, energy, and resources. This isn't a 26 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 2: bad strategy for business or life. In general, but it's 27 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 2: not great when it comes to our faith. My lack 28 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 2: of faith related to the unseen and my proclivity to 29 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 2: doubt what cannot be easily explained led me to a 30 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 2: dark season where I not only doubted my salvation but 31 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 2: also began to question can God be trusted? Unsettled by this, 32 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 2: I dove deep into the Bible to convince my head 33 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:21,799 Speaker 2: of what my heart already knew. Even on the days 34 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 2: I was able to accept I was a child of God, 35 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 2: my thoughts were still troubled by unbelief. Am I doing 36 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 2: enough for the Lord? Why do I keep struggling with sin? 37 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,799 Speaker 2: Is God disappointed in me because I keep falling short? 38 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:41,079 Speaker 2: After particularly tumultuous night, I decided to see my pastor. 39 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: As I sat before him the. 40 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 2: Next day, the table shook as I could not calm 41 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:50,679 Speaker 2: my shaking leg. I didn't get a single word out 42 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:55,080 Speaker 2: before I burst into tears. Through uncontrollable sobs, I shared, 43 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 2: how do I know with absolute certainty God is real? 44 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 2: How can I have complete assurance I am saved? And 45 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 2: how can I have peace that I am doing what 46 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:09,920 Speaker 2: He desires? Laura, you have to make sure that in 47 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 2: your pursuit of knowing God better, you aren't falling into 48 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 2: the trap of trying to figu your head out. There 49 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 2: are asked makes of faith that we must accept without 50 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 2: having all the answers. We have to choose to trust 51 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:25,359 Speaker 2: God to put. 52 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: Our hope in him, my pastor counsel. 53 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 2: Until that day, I'd never considered that what was driving 54 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 2: my study was the desire to figure out God, have 55 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 2: all the answers and be like God. I wanted God 56 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,839 Speaker 2: to prove he was worthy of trust before I would 57 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 2: fully commit to surrendering and submitting to Him. As we 58 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 2: continue to talk, my pastor's shared that it's okay to 59 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 2: ask questions, it's normal to have seasons of wrestling, and 60 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 2: it's even okay to ask why this. 61 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 1: Was so encouraging for me here. 62 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 2: But at some point we have to move past the 63 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 2: desire to know all the answers, and as the writer 64 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:13,119 Speaker 2: of Hebrews shares, have confidence rooted in hope and assurance 65 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 2: about what we do not see. At the encouragement of 66 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:20,479 Speaker 2: my pastor, I continue to study Scripture to guide me 67 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 2: in my pursuit of assurance. 68 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 1: At my salvation, this time I approached it from a 69 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: different angle. 70 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:29,840 Speaker 2: Instead of treating the Bible like a magic eight ball, 71 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:34,599 Speaker 2: I asked, what does this teach me about God? Not 72 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:38,160 Speaker 2: only can God be trusted, but nothing can separate us 73 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 2: from his love. In his mercy, God sent his son 74 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 2: to save us, and through his continued active grace, he 75 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 2: gave us the Holy Spirit to grant us divine assurance. 76 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 2: I still find myself asking why, and there remain multiple 77 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 2: questions I must have avoid prolonged pondering over. However, instead 78 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:04,039 Speaker 2: of being knowns casting doubt, they have served to highlight 79 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:08,599 Speaker 2: that even without answers, God can be trusted. I didn't 80 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 2: write this from a place of complete healing. I still 81 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 2: have good days and bad days. But once I could 82 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 2: release the need to have all the answers and surrender 83 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 2: to the one who does, I was able to experience 84 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 2: the blessed assurance knowing that I was secure in Christ. 85 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:32,800 Speaker 2: Let's pray, Heavenly Father, let me grasp that doubt is neutral. 86 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 2: It is neither good nor bad. Let me approach my 87 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 2: doubt with curiosity rather than judgment. The answer is not 88 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 2: to dismiss, push away, or ignore my doubts, questions and 89 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 2: struggles with faith. Instead, let me engage in a conversation 90 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 2: with a stance of curiosity. What is my doubt here 91 00:05:55,400 --> 00:06:00,159 Speaker 2: to teach me about you your character? Let these questions 92 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 2: lead to an increased intimacy with you. You can handle 93 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 2: my doubts, questions, and unbelief. You are not a master 94 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:10,279 Speaker 2: puppeteer forcing me into obedience. 95 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: You grant me free will. I can walk by faith 96 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:15,599 Speaker 1: or walk away. 97 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 2: May I, amid the doubt and uncertainty, put my faith, 98 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:26,159 Speaker 2: no matter how shaky, in you, because you are for 99 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 2: me in Jesus' name. 100 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 1: Amen. Your Daily Prayer is a production of Life Audio 101 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 1: and Sale Media. 102 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 2: If you haven't already, be sure to follow the show 103 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 2: in your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. 104 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:56,480 Speaker 2: For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio 105 00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:03,239 Speaker 2: dot com.