One week in college, I remember feeling especially burdened. I was trying to discern what God wanted me to give my life to post-college, all while keeping bills paid and assignments done.
At our Wednesday night church service that week, my pastor approached me.
“How are you doing, Jim?” He asked.
“Pretty good under the circumstances,” I replied.
He smiled and jokingly asked, “What are you doing under there?”
As we started talking, he helped me see that the key to overcoming the stress wasn’t better reasoning or deeper thinking—it was learning how to pray.
That year, I studied prayer intently and discovered that receiving God’s promises requires two things: confidence and cost. The confidence is not in ourselves; it’s in God, and it grows from knowing who He truly is. The cost is personal—surrendering our ways for His. When we anchor our prayers in three truths about God’s character—and pay the cost each truth demands—we begin to see His promises materialize in our lives in steady, life-giving, and unmistakable ways.
The first truth is that God is always for us. Romans 8:28 promises, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” When we love Him and live according to His call, every experience—even painful ones—can be leveraged for our ultimate good. This is our confidence. But the cost? We must surrender our fear and our need to control outcomes. We release our grip on how and when things should happen and trust He is working for us, even when we cannot see how.
The second truth is that God will always help us. Hebrews 13:5–6 declares, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you… The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.” Our prayers aren’t shots in the dark; they are appeals to a committed Helper who actively intervenes on our behalf. This is our confidence. The cost? We must surrender self-reliance and lay down our own clever strategies. We must stop trying to manufacture solutions and instead depend fully on His help, admitting our limits and welcoming His strength.
The third truth is that God is always with us. Moses revealed this in Deuteronomy 31:8: “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Even when circumstances threaten us, God’s presence precedes us and gently envelops us. This is our confidence. The cost? We must surrender impatience and our demand for immediate answers. We release our timelines and rest in His, trusting His presence even in the waiting.
Friends, God wants us to live in the reality of His hopes for our lives. When we anchor our prayers in who He is and pay the cost of surrender, He produces a life richer, deeper, steadier, and better than we could ever imagine!
