Trust the Process

It was a couple weeks before Christmas and my granddaughter was helping me wrap gifts. I was watching her and thinking, “Oh my goodness, these are not going to look very good.” I wanted to step in and help but I didn’t want to discourage her. I decided to just let it be. At least I tried to do that.

I watched her wrap a couple more and then I intervened. “Brailee” I said, “honey, you are going to have to do that different, or they will look bad.” She simply looked at me and smiled and said, “Nana, trust the process, just trust the process.” I laughed and let her continue.

Today, I had been praying about something I am battling. I had studied the word. I confessed the word over the situation. I took communion. I prayed. I had worshipped. Now, I was saying, “God, I don’t really know what else to do.” I heard Him gently say, “Trust the process.”

Answered prayer doesn’t always happen immediately. Most of the time, it does not. Lately, as I have shared, I have seen some immediate answers to prayer – but to this one, I haven’t been seeing immediate answers. I wasn’t discouraged at all. I was simply asking God to lead me and guide me to the answer.

Trust the process. What is the process?

Well, I believe it is doing all we know to do. Standing on God’s word and His promises. Being diligent to study the word. Pray according to the word of God. Worship God. Praise God. Thank Him that He is a good and faithful Father and His word never changes, nor will it return void.

Then when we have done all we know to do, we stand firm.

That sounds easy – but it is somewhere in the midst that we begin to question and wonder if we have done all we know to do. It’s the most important time to continue to trust in God and His faithfulness.

That’s when we must trust the process.

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Is 55:11)

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (1 John 6:14-15)

This is just a couple of scriptures that talk about the faithfulness of God to answer our prayers as long as they align with the word of God. But, sometimes, it is a process. The challenges we deal with most often don’t happen overnight – and probably won’t be resolved overnight. However, that doesn’t mean God won’t answer. It doesn’t mean He is not working on your behalf.

1 Peter 5:10 is a scripture one of my pastor friends gave me years ago. I didn’t really like it at the time, frankly, I still don’t. But it has been a truth in my life many times.

But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

I don’t like the part that says, “after you have suffered awhile.” I would like to skip that part, yet, God is once again saying, “Trust the process.”

I don’t know where you find yourself today. Perhaps in the middle of the process to your answered prayer – if so, be encouraged. God has never gone back on His word and He won’t start now. Trust Him and trust the process.