Have you ever been in a season where it feels like everything that could possibly go wrong does? You thought you made the right decisions, received confirmation from God, and were aligned with His will. You made sacrifices, turned down opportunities, practiced patience, took the leap, started the company, launched the blog, wrote the book, etc. and really thought you were moving and operating in faith! Yet, you look at your life and you are not where you thought you should be by now. Your leap of faith suddenly takes a turn for the worse and instead of landing on a bed of clouds, you feel like you hit straight cement. (Ouch!) 

Others around you haven't made the sacrifices you've made (so you think), prayed the prayers you've prayed (to your knowledge), and their lives seem to be going UP! You begin questioning yourself, questioning the well thought out and prayed over decisions, and even begin questioning God! Questions arise such as: 'God I thought you said you'd never leave me nor forsake me?" "You told me you came so that I may have life and have it to the full but why do I feel empty?" "Where are you; I don't see your hand?"

Why aren't things working out the way they should?

If you are currently feeling this way guess what, you'e NOT alone! Seasons like this come and go. I'm currently maneuvering my way through this type of season, and it can be a tough ride. However, let me share with you how I've been able to make it through times of uncertainty when nothing seems to be working out in my favor and seasons of doubt.

1. I take EVERYTHING to God in prayer.

Prayer is our direct communication with God. It gives us access to Him anytime, anyplace, and in any circumstance. I've been more intentional with my prayers lately and mentioning every care, every worry, every doubt, every mess up, every fear... everything! I've found that when I completely divulge all information in prayer, it changes me and makes me more aware of who God is and who I am in correlation to Him.

Recently while in prayer, I was crying out to God and asking Him all, plus many more of the questions, I mentioned above and something began to happen. I was feeling distressed, defeated and loss, but my Spirit (the same Spirit of God that dwells inside of you & me) started ministering to me and reminding me of who God is. It was as if it refused to allow me to believe anything contrary to what God had already shown me. A peace came over me, and I was reminded that the promises of God are S U R E! This peace and reminder led me straight to God's Word. That leads me into the second thing.

2. I re-read Scriptures on God's FAITHFULNESS as a reminder.

I was led to two scriptures,

Numbers 23:19 (ESV) that states, "God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?"

Hebrews 6:16-18 (NLT) that states, "Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any questions that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie .. "

These two Bible verses encouraged and reminded me that I could trust God's words. Despite the way things appeared at the present moment, God's mind HAD NOT changed and He hadn't forgotten about me. What good news!

3.  I TRUST & BELIEVE in God's Holy Word. 

Let's be honest, you can read and re-read bible verses all day and still feel the exact same way you felt prior to you reading the verse. However, when you actually BELIEVE what you read, and start LIVING like it, then you're exercising your faith. 

At the present moment, we may not be able to physically see the promises manifesting  but we have FAITH that they eventually will.  So we continue to press towards the mark. Faith gives us permission and a right to have peace in the most trying & perplexing times in our life. It's crazy how faith works, but believe me it works. I want to encourage you to remain steadfast in prayer and hold tighter than ever to your FAITH! Now is the time to activate it and actually LIVE it out. You may get discouraged from time to time, but don't let go of the promises God has revealed to you concerning your future.

 Stay encouraged, steadfast, faithful, and prayerful. The testing of our faith produces things in us unimaginable; it prepares and molds us for what's to come. Trust God, He knows what He's doing.. 

With Love,

Katricia Denise

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest." - Mahatma Gandhi