Photo by Dương Trí on Unsplash

Life this side of heaven will always have difficulties and problems.  Christians suffer from financial issues, health problems, family conflicts, and other difficult situations.  When a crushing situation occurs, God’s children look to him for help.  And they are often devastated because it seems that God is many times absent.  “Where is God when life really hurts?” is a question that many believers sincerely ask.  But the problem is not with God, it is with our understanding of how God intervenes in the affairs of our lives.  

Our Father does for us what we cannot do for ourselves, but when there is something that we can do, God expects us to do it.  God is there for his children at all times.  He protects us, provides for us, and directs us even when we are not aware of his presence.  God helps us, many times, in spite of ourselves.  However,  when it comes to blessing us, God has set a certain order or method by which we receive from him.  God is in no way limited concerning how he can bless us, but he has established certain principles for us to follow to see his intervention and deliverance.  God does indeed have a “modus operandi” when it comes to releasing his power in our lives.

The term modus operandi comes from the Latin, and it means the method of doing things.  This term basically refers to a set pattern in which something is usually done. God’s modus operandi is to respond to our faith and not to our needs.  Many Christians have needs, and they are waiting for God to move on their behalf, but God is waiting on them.  Many times, God will not simply act because he sees that we have a problem.  It is somewhat disturbing to discover that God will often allow us to struggle with our problems and do nothing to help us unless we reach out to him in faith.  God will love us, and even desire to bless us, but many times he will not move until we come to him in faith.  God, many times, requires us to do three things: ask, keep asking, and ask in faith.

“Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” (James 4:2-3).  Many Christians do not see God’s power and intervention in their lives because they do not ask for his help.  Some may not petition God because of an ignorance of his word; these Christians may not think that they are worthy enough to ask God for anything.  Or, they may have limiting beliefs concerning their ability to pray in faith.  However, God wants his children to bring their problems to him.  And asking for God’s help in a particular situation is often not just a one time occurrence.

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8).  Jesus said that we are to keep asking, seeking and knocking.  If we truly have a need, God desires that we continually bring this problem before him.  There will come a time when you stop asking God for the solution to your problem and starting thanking him for his intervention.  However, until God instructs you to do this, keep asking.  When we petition God, we must do so in faith.

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5-8).  This is a very hard passage, but we are being told not to expect anything from God if we do not come to him in faith.  The way to obtain faith concerning a certain problem is to study and meditate on scriptures that relate to that issue.  But if you do not have faith you will receive very little from God.  Faith is believing in the spiritual reality of something before we see it manifest in the natural.  We have faith that God will answer our prayers. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” (John 15:7-8).

Never be idle when it comes to the difficulties that you face in life.  God loves you, but do not expect him to rush to your aid without your petitioning him. God will move in our lives dependent upon and in proportion to our level of faith.  Bring your problems to God, in faith, and expect your Father to come to your rescue.