IS YOUR GOD-WIFI WORKING?
by Kim Aldrich
Ever feel like there’s a disconnect in your relationship with God?
A while ago, I loaded up a song on Spotify and hit play, but nothing happened.
So I hit play again.
Still nothing.
Then I reloaded the song.
You guessed it.
Nothing.
Suddenly I realized…oh duh, I’m not connected to wifi!
Sometimes we do that with God.
We load up a request and hit play.
We wait for a result.
When nothing happens, we hit play again.
We reload our request.
Pretty soon we’re wondering “Why doesn’t God answer my prayers like He answers other people’s?”
Before we know it, a train of thought leaves the station that leaves us feeling sorry for ourselves and (if we’re honest) also ever-so-slightly irked with God for not responding the way we’d hoped.
So what’s the deal with these confusing disconnects?
SEEKING HIS HAND
Sometimes they’re caused by our lack of true connection with God’s heart. In these instances, the answer could be as simple as pausing to focus on who God IS to us before zipping past to what He can DO for us.
Click: PSALM 27:8
DOUBTING HIS HEART
Other times the disconnect goes even deeper. Maybe a lingering doubt about His goodness in the past (in this or that circumstance) is blocking faith-filled prayer from actually happening in the present – in which case what we think is a trusting interaction with God really isn’t.
Click: JAMES 1:5-8
FAILING TO OBEY
Sometimes the disconnect is because we haven’t taken the time to obey the last thing He told us. Which begs the question: Why should He respond to today’s request when we’ve disregarded His answer to yesterday’s?
Click: JOHN 15:14
MISSING HIS ANSWER
And finally, sometimes our connection with God is just fine, yet we mistake His silence for a disconnect. It could be He’s simply answering our prayer with a “wait” – or even, heaven forbid, the dreaded “no” – because He has something far better in mind down the line.
Click: PROVERBS 3:5-6
WHY NOT ASK?
Whatever the reason, not sensing traction with God in your prayers is an awful feeling. Why not cultivate the habit of stopping and asking God to reveal the source of the disconnect?
Lord, what’s missing in our communication?
How can I truly “connect” with You today?
Honestly asking these questions (and being willing to respond in obedience to whatever He says) can restore your God-wifi far more quickly than you might expect.
And once your God-wifi is restored, genuine love, trust, and free-flowing communication are possible again!