“I keep pushing, but God is not doing His part.”

   We feel like this at times.  We are trying to do something, maybe we are even heavily praying about it, but God is not making it work like we want.  The key to this is “like we want”.  God is all-knowing and all-powerful.  If you want the best solution to your problem, listen to Him.  It is “Thy Will be done” and not ‘my will be done’.

   It is good that we are trying to make things better.  Indeed, it shows that we care.  However, we need to humble ourselves to realize we might not know the best solution to make things better.  Prayer is a two-way conversation with God and telling God how He should make things better is not the best use of this two-way conversation with Our all-knowing Father.

   As a kid, if you pointed out all of the problems in your family and home to your parents, they might appreciate your concern, but they would also give you something to do in the situations that you could assist in.  Our Heavenly Father does likewise, though with Him we can be assured that we are given the best instructions.  The hardest part is listening.  If we do not hear what it is that we should be doing, we can only do it by accident.  Many times, we simply give it to Him to take care of and simply do nothing anyways.

   So, enter prayer for all of the troubles of your heart and give them to Your Father.  Then, you must listen for what He has for you to do.  Maybe there is truly nothing you can do besides pray.  Maybe He has great plans for you to be instrumental in bringing about the solution.  Maybe He has a very small part for you to play.  In any case listen in prayer, because the solution could very well depend upon you doing your part.

   Come Holy Spirit, you place many troubles upon our hearts, enkindle in us the fire to ask for and work towards their best outcomes and the ear to listen for Our Father’s guidance in what we are to do to bring them about. Amen.