Overcoming Hesitation: Strengthening Your Faith in God's Promises and Prayer Responses

There was a familiar tug on my heart. I knew God was speaking. “Start the podcast. Now rather than later.” 

I froze. Panic, confusion, then panic again. “How?” I choked out. “I’ve already tried several times, but I have an extreme lack of understanding on all the back end stuff that makes a podcast work!” Then to make more of an emphatic statement, I added, “I also don’t have the TIME to learn!” 

Silence.

The bargaining began.

“IF you want me to start a podcast, you’ll have to provide someone to film it, edit, upload, and everything else." 

Silence. 

I thought it was the end of the conversation. Days later as I sat scrolling through Facebook an ad came up, 5 Day Podcast  Bootcamp for $17! Ugh! I had a feeling God was giving me a gentle nudge. Grudgingly,  I signed up for it. But, if I had to “suffer” through it, so did my team. We sat and watched the videos. I was ready to roll my eyes and be thankful that I was only scammed out of $17. Instead, video after video, my team and I cried. We knew God was calling us, but we also realized He wasn’t going to provide that miracle person who would swoop in with all the expertise and say that they would handle everything for FREE. He wasn’t going to answer that prayer just yet.

Instead, God wanted us to learn every part of podcasting, but He was also willing to provide an opportunity to be trained. He presented us with a year long training program that had coaches ready to teach the fundamentals. I really didn’t want to invest money we couldn’t afford and I didn’t want to spend the time learning it all, but when God calls you, HE will do it.

Photo by Matt Botsford on Unsplash

“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” God brought up this gentle reminder that He could send someone to do it all, but then the podcast wouldn’t be sustainable. It would be contingent upon one person. If my team and I were to learn all the nuances, it would be longer lasting. 

God may not answer our prayers in the way we prefer them to be answered, but He answers our prayers in the way we need them to be answered. My way would save me money and time in the present, but it would cost me more in the future. I also wouldn’t have known about the detailed strategies that need to be in place before filming. God knows all of this, and that’s why He’s asking us to do something that seems “impossible” right now. When God is involved, He builds things that last and has greater impact.  He’s building a much stronger foundation for His work to be built upon. The best thing is, He promises to pay for it! 

“God will make this happen, for He who calls you is faithful.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NLT)

In Chronicles, we find a man named Jabez whose name means “he will cause pain”. It seems as if he was given a curse by his mother because her labor was difficult. In spite of that curse, Jabez was known for being an honorable man among his family members. He believed in approaching God with boldness asking that his territory would be expanded. He wasn’t willing to stay in his comfort zone. 

There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted his request. - 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NLT)

These two verses are all we hear about Jabez, but his faith and boldness was so great that God felt it was worth including his story in the Bible. How could Jabez pray so boldly? Because he knew and trusted in the character of God! God is faithful. God doesn’t abandon. God empowers those He calls. God hears us. God provides.

Don’t overthink this. Don’t fall into the “yeh, but…” trap. It’s that simple. You either believe it or you don’t. God wants us to test Him. God wants us to pray bold prayers so that He might show you everything He is. The real question isn’t about God, but really about you.  Do you believe? What is most important to you- staying in a comfortable position or walking into “new territories”? When it comes to God’s character, there is no gray area. We can’t fit Him into our distorted beliefs to justify our lack of faith. He is who He says He is no matter how much we want to say that He isn’t. 

So, let’s get real with ourselves. Here’s a few questions to do some soul searching with.

1. What is my hesitation when it comes to stepping out in faith?

2. What is my hesitation when it comes to believing in the full character of God?

3. Do I find myself overanalyzing and excusing why I can’t fully believe?

4. Do I stiffen with resistance when I hear the word “surrender”?

5. Do you find yourself bargaining with God? (Like I did with the podcast)

6. How is this “overthinking” battle adding or subtracting value to your life?

7. What are my priorities in life?

Peace and excitement came when I surrendered my bargaining- “Ok, God, I’ll do it IF…” My eyes opened to see the truth, wisdom, and value of what He was doing in making me learn podcasting. He also made sure that I didn’t have to figure it out on my own. He provided coaches and the financial resources to walk in His plan. He’ll do it for you, too, in whatever He is calling you to do because that's just who He is!

If you need some guidance, I’d love to walk alongside you to uncover the truth of any obstacles that you may be facing in the present and in the past that will keep you from stepping out into your “expanded territories”!