1 00:00:07,910 --> 00:00:12,090 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Untangling Prayer Podcast. I'm Rachel Wojo, and 2 00:00:12,289 --> 00:00:17,189 Speaker 1: each week we unravel life's knots through prayer. Here you'll 3 00:00:17,270 --> 00:00:21,350 Speaker 1: find practical wisdom and prayer encouragement to guide you through 4 00:00:21,410 --> 00:00:26,430 Speaker 1: life's hardest seasons. Join me as we untangle life's messes together, 5 00:00:27,230 --> 00:00:34,970 Speaker 1: one prayer at a time. Hey there, I'm Rachel, and 6 00:00:35,010 --> 00:00:38,909 Speaker 1: I'm so glad you're here with me today. I want 7 00:00:38,930 --> 00:00:42,930 Speaker 1: to start with a question. Maybe you've carried it for 8 00:00:42,950 --> 00:00:45,690 Speaker 1: a long time, or maybe you're carrying it right now. 9 00:00:46,130 --> 00:00:49,740 Speaker 1: Why do bad things happen to good people? Maybe you 10 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 1: look around at your life or the life of someone 11 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:54,220 Speaker 1: you love and things just. 12 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 2: Don't add up. There are good, faithful people, people who pray, 13 00:00:59,340 --> 00:01:02,940 Speaker 2: people who walk through things that they should never have 14 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 2: to walk through. And somewhere you have this question in 15 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:11,530 Speaker 2: your heart and your mind, God, why? Why this? Why them? 16 00:01:12,030 --> 00:01:16,050 Speaker 2: Why me? I've asked it and I'll tell you honestly 17 00:01:16,250 --> 00:01:20,430 Speaker 2: up front before we go any farther that I'm not 18 00:01:20,490 --> 00:01:22,570 Speaker 2: going to be able to hand you a tidy answer 19 00:01:22,650 --> 00:01:25,830 Speaker 2: on this one because I don't have one. I've come 20 00:01:25,870 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 2: to believe that there are just some things that We 21 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:33,380 Speaker 2: won't understand until we get to heaven. But what I 22 00:01:33,459 --> 00:01:36,660 Speaker 2: do have is some conversation that I want to have 23 00:01:36,740 --> 00:01:40,119 Speaker 2: about how to keep praying when the why, when that 24 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 2: answer never comes. So that's where we're going today. Before 25 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,860 Speaker 2: we get into it, I want to mention my new book, 26 00:01:46,940 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 2: Praying Through Life's Battles, 90 Days to Strengthen Your Faith. 27 00:01:51,500 --> 00:01:55,500 Speaker 2: And it released last month. Hasn't even been a month yet. 28 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 2: It's 90 Days of Prayer for the Hard Things. And 29 00:01:59,660 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 2: it's organized around being weary, being in the fight, and 30 00:02:04,500 --> 00:02:08,490 Speaker 2: coming out on the other side or walking on the 31 00:02:08,530 --> 00:02:12,650 Speaker 2: other side. So for today's question, there's a day in 32 00:02:12,690 --> 00:02:15,710 Speaker 2: that book written exactly about this. And I'll tell you 33 00:02:15,730 --> 00:02:17,889 Speaker 2: which one in a couple of minutes. But you can 34 00:02:17,970 --> 00:02:23,660 Speaker 2: find more at battleprayers.com or wherever you buy books. So 35 00:02:23,980 --> 00:02:26,799 Speaker 2: let's sit with the question for a minute. How do 36 00:02:26,860 --> 00:02:31,500 Speaker 2: I pray when I may never know why? And that's 37 00:02:31,570 --> 00:02:34,430 Speaker 2: the hard version, isn't it? That's the hard question. It's 38 00:02:34,530 --> 00:02:37,550 Speaker 2: one thing to ask why, but it's another thing to 39 00:02:37,610 --> 00:02:40,110 Speaker 2: make peace with the fact that you might be asking 40 00:02:40,169 --> 00:02:42,590 Speaker 2: that question for the rest of your life and never 41 00:02:42,770 --> 00:02:48,350 Speaker 2: feel satisfied by an answer. So the Bible doesn't hide 42 00:02:48,790 --> 00:02:52,220 Speaker 2: from these kinds of questions. It doesn't just tie it 43 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:55,250 Speaker 2: all up in a neat little bow. I mean, Job 44 00:02:55,370 --> 00:02:58,350 Speaker 2: is a prime example. We are familiar with his story. 45 00:02:58,410 --> 00:03:02,060 Speaker 2: Some of us, you know, 40-some chapters of him asking 46 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:05,920 Speaker 2: God why. And when God answers him out of the storm, 47 00:03:06,340 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 2: God still never tells him why. Not one time. So 48 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:14,770 Speaker 2: Job came away from that with faith, though. And I 49 00:03:14,910 --> 00:03:18,649 Speaker 2: used to think that was frustrating. But now I understand 50 00:03:18,669 --> 00:03:20,929 Speaker 2: that it kind of matches my life a little bit 51 00:03:20,990 --> 00:03:25,110 Speaker 2: more than a neat and tidy answer did. We're going 52 00:03:25,130 --> 00:03:29,060 Speaker 2: to come to a psalm today, Psalm 77. And Asaph 53 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:32,049 Speaker 2: is the one who wrote Psalm 77. When he wrote it, 54 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:34,660 Speaker 2: he was not okay. He said, will the Lord reject 55 00:03:34,740 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 2: us forever? Will he not show his favor again? Has 56 00:03:37,900 --> 00:03:42,690 Speaker 2: his unfailing love vanished forever? Has God forgotten to be merciful? 57 00:03:43,590 --> 00:03:46,070 Speaker 2: I mean, that's in the Bible. It's a prayer that 58 00:03:46,130 --> 00:03:49,450 Speaker 2: God kept in the Bible on purpose. And Asaph is 59 00:03:49,610 --> 00:03:53,930 Speaker 2: asking those questions that we're afraid to say out loud sometimes. 60 00:03:54,630 --> 00:03:57,590 Speaker 2: He never gets an answer to any of them. But 61 00:03:57,750 --> 00:04:02,470 Speaker 2: watch what he does. He makes a decision partway through 62 00:04:02,510 --> 00:04:05,610 Speaker 2: the psalm. He says, I will remember the deeds of 63 00:04:05,650 --> 00:04:09,950 Speaker 2: the Lord. Yes, I will remember your miracles long ago. 64 00:04:10,530 --> 00:04:14,970 Speaker 2: So he stops asking the questions and he starts remembering. 65 00:04:15,810 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 2: And that's when this psalm kind of turns. He gets 66 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:22,900 Speaker 2: to verse 14 and he says, you are the God 67 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:26,900 Speaker 2: who performs miracles. You display your power among the people. 68 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:30,020 Speaker 2: He never got his answer why. He didn't get the why. 69 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 2: He got the who. He remembered who God had been 70 00:04:34,460 --> 00:04:39,060 Speaker 2: and he prayed from that position. So thanks for tuning 71 00:04:39,100 --> 00:04:41,670 Speaker 2: in to Questions and Heart Spaces. We'll be right back 72 00:04:42,029 --> 00:04:46,820 Speaker 2: after this brief word from our sponsors. Thank you for 73 00:04:46,860 --> 00:04:50,040 Speaker 2: listening in to that word from our sponsors. And now 74 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 2: for this week's segment of Pray More, Worry Less Encouragement. 75 00:04:55,940 --> 00:04:59,040 Speaker 2: And this is where I want to stay in Psalm 76 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:02,700 Speaker 2: 77 for just a minute because there's a line at 77 00:05:02,750 --> 00:05:06,490 Speaker 2: the end of it that I just hold so precious. 78 00:05:06,690 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 2: After Asaph decides to remember... Then he walks back through. 79 00:05:12,370 --> 00:05:15,229 Speaker 2: He takes a trip down memory lane, what God has done. 80 00:05:15,690 --> 00:05:18,910 Speaker 2: And he lands the psalm at this verse. Your path 81 00:05:19,050 --> 00:05:22,690 Speaker 2: led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, 82 00:05:22,990 --> 00:05:28,130 Speaker 2: though your footprints were not seen. Think about that. God 83 00:05:28,210 --> 00:05:31,380 Speaker 2: led his people right through the middle of the sea. 84 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:35,900 Speaker 2: He was undeniably there. He was moving with them the 85 00:05:35,940 --> 00:05:40,650 Speaker 2: whole time. He sometimes made himself visible. through the pillar 86 00:05:40,690 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 2: of cloud and the pillar of fire. The path was real, 87 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:48,659 Speaker 2: the rescue was real, but they could not see his footprints. 88 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:53,490 Speaker 2: And that's the thing about the way God moves. You 89 00:05:54,130 --> 00:05:57,490 Speaker 2: may or may not be able to trace God's footprints. 90 00:05:58,089 --> 00:06:02,050 Speaker 2: In day 33 of Praying Through Life's Battles, the title 91 00:06:02,089 --> 00:06:05,020 Speaker 2: of the devotion is The Way God Moves for You. 92 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,110 Speaker 2: And God moves for you in ways that that you 93 00:06:08,150 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 2: may not see the shape of it. It kind of 94 00:06:11,250 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 2: reframes for us what prayer is for in a season 95 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:19,039 Speaker 2: like this. When you may never know why, prayer stops 96 00:06:19,100 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 2: being the place where you get an answer and it 97 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:26,930 Speaker 2: becomes the place where you remember that God has moved 98 00:06:27,060 --> 00:06:31,010 Speaker 2: before and that you can trust He is moving on 99 00:06:31,050 --> 00:06:35,410 Speaker 2: your behalf even when you have no footprints to point to. 100 00:06:36,470 --> 00:06:38,750 Speaker 2: So when you don't know what to pray, don't start 101 00:06:38,790 --> 00:06:43,590 Speaker 2: with the why. Maybe start with the remembering. Go back 102 00:06:43,670 --> 00:06:46,450 Speaker 2: and name the times that God showed up for you before. 103 00:06:47,210 --> 00:06:49,630 Speaker 2: Something specific if you can. This is why I believe 104 00:06:49,670 --> 00:06:53,050 Speaker 2: it's important to keep a prayer journal and pray from 105 00:06:53,110 --> 00:06:57,270 Speaker 2: that memory instead of the panic. God, I don't understand 106 00:06:57,310 --> 00:06:59,690 Speaker 2: what you're doing right now, and I might not ever 107 00:06:59,790 --> 00:07:03,510 Speaker 2: understand it, but I know what you did before, and 108 00:07:03,529 --> 00:07:06,590 Speaker 2: I'm trusting that you're moving even now. even when I 109 00:07:06,630 --> 00:07:12,830 Speaker 2: can't see it. It's not a smaller prayer to pray 110 00:07:12,870 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 2: that way than ask why. It's actually a courageous one. 111 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 2: And I wanted to keep it kind of general in 112 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 2: this answer prayer story section today. Any of you who 113 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 2: are parents of older kids know that there's a particular 114 00:07:29,300 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 2: ache when you're raising them in the faith and you 115 00:07:31,540 --> 00:07:34,580 Speaker 2: pray over them their whole lives and then they grow 116 00:07:34,780 --> 00:07:38,850 Speaker 2: up and they get to make their own choices. And 117 00:07:38,990 --> 00:07:42,950 Speaker 2: you don't always get to see inside their intimate walk 118 00:07:43,050 --> 00:07:45,150 Speaker 2: with God the way maybe you used to when they 119 00:07:45,190 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 2: lived in your home. And there's a long stretch maybe 120 00:07:48,540 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 2: where you're just praying and waiting and you have no 121 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:56,510 Speaker 2: idea for sure what's taking root. And every so often, 122 00:07:56,610 --> 00:07:59,510 Speaker 2: God will give you a glimpse into it, a word 123 00:07:59,550 --> 00:08:03,070 Speaker 2: they say, a moment they catch, or something that tells 124 00:08:03,110 --> 00:08:06,700 Speaker 2: you that the seeds that you planted are alive, they're active. 125 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:10,340 Speaker 2: And when that glimpse comes, it is a thrill. It 126 00:08:10,420 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 2: is a thrill like nothing else. It's like oxygen to 127 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:17,620 Speaker 2: your parent lungs. And I've had to make peace with 128 00:08:17,670 --> 00:08:20,250 Speaker 2: the fact that those glimpses are not the finish line. 129 00:08:20,850 --> 00:08:24,850 Speaker 2: that there's spiritual fruit I'm still praying to see in 130 00:08:24,890 --> 00:08:27,930 Speaker 2: the lives of my kids, fruit that maybe I haven't 131 00:08:27,970 --> 00:08:31,010 Speaker 2: seen yet or I don't know when I will or 132 00:08:31,150 --> 00:08:33,430 Speaker 2: if I'll see it at all on this side of heaven. 133 00:08:34,190 --> 00:08:37,360 Speaker 2: And the why of why it's taking so long or 134 00:08:37,410 --> 00:08:40,180 Speaker 2: the why of the roads that they've had to walk, 135 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 2: I may not fully understand because they're individual journeys. But 136 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:47,910 Speaker 2: I know to do what Asaph did. 137 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 1: I remember. 138 00:08:49,590 --> 00:08:52,850 Speaker 2: The glimpses. I hold on to anything that God has 139 00:08:52,890 --> 00:08:55,530 Speaker 2: already given me a glimpse of, and I let those 140 00:08:55,590 --> 00:08:59,150 Speaker 2: glimpses carry me into praying for anything that I can't 141 00:08:59,190 --> 00:09:02,790 Speaker 2: yet see. Because the glimpse isn't proof that it's all 142 00:09:02,830 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 2: going to resolve the way I want to, but it's 143 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:09,660 Speaker 2: provision for the journey. It's God saying to me, keep going. 144 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:14,660 Speaker 2: I am moving, even when you can't see my footprints. 145 00:09:15,660 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 2: If you're a parent in that waiting right now, I 146 00:09:18,420 --> 00:09:22,100 Speaker 2: want you to hear that you're not a failure, it's 147 00:09:22,220 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 2: never too late to pray, and that not seeing is 148 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:29,890 Speaker 2: not the same thing as nothing happening. That's sort of 149 00:09:29,910 --> 00:09:32,510 Speaker 2: the question we started with. Why do bad things happen 150 00:09:32,950 --> 00:09:36,500 Speaker 2: to good people? And that harder question that sits underneath it, 151 00:09:36,950 --> 00:09:39,910 Speaker 2: how do I pray when I may never know why? 152 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:43,939 Speaker 2: That is the reason I wrote Praying Through Life's Battles 153 00:09:44,020 --> 00:09:46,940 Speaker 2: the way that I did. It's not a book that 154 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 2: pretends to explain things. your pain. It's 90 days of 155 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 2: learning to pray in the middle of whatever you are 156 00:09:53,940 --> 00:09:57,850 Speaker 2: going through, whether you get your answer or not. And 157 00:09:57,890 --> 00:10:00,390 Speaker 2: day 33 is the one that I mentioned earlier, the 158 00:10:00,429 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 2: way He moves for you, anchored right in Psalm 77. 159 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 2: If today landed on a tender place for you, then 160 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:12,140 Speaker 2: I would turn to day 33 first. The book is 161 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:16,839 Speaker 2: out now. You can get it at battleprayers.com or wherever 162 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:19,579 Speaker 2: you buy books. And if you've already purchased the book, 163 00:10:20,380 --> 00:10:22,599 Speaker 2: Could you just do me a favor and leave a 164 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:25,420 Speaker 2: review wherever you got it? I know it just takes 165 00:10:25,460 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 2: a couple minutes, but that's how other people who are 166 00:10:30,179 --> 00:10:34,319 Speaker 2: asking these questions wind up finding the resources that they need. 167 00:10:34,380 --> 00:10:36,740 Speaker 2: It's not about me trying to sell a book. It's 168 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:39,740 Speaker 2: about me trying to get the resource in the hands 169 00:10:39,780 --> 00:10:41,540 Speaker 2: of the people who need it so that I can 170 00:10:41,590 --> 00:10:45,450 Speaker 2: help people with these messages. I'm so grateful for you. 171 00:10:45,790 --> 00:10:49,670 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening in on Untangling Prayer. I'm Rachel Wojo, 172 00:10:49,750 --> 00:10:52,670 Speaker 2: and I want you to remember that God sees you 173 00:10:53,370 --> 00:10:54,670 Speaker 2: and He knows your needs. 174 00:10:56,550 --> 00:11:00,720 Speaker 1: Thanks for joining me on the Untangling Prayer Podcast. If 175 00:11:00,780 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 1: this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who 176 00:11:04,300 --> 00:11:07,130 Speaker 1: could use a little hope. And be sure to. 177 00:11:07,070 --> 00:11:08,270 Speaker 2: Subscribe for more. 178 00:11:08,870 --> 00:11:13,949 Speaker 1: Until next time, keep seeking, keep trusting, and keep praying.