Are you willing to trust God and keep trusting Him even when you think your life is going nowhere?

Throughout his mission, the Apostle Paul faced numerous frustrating hindrances from people, Satan, and seemingly even God Himself. The Holy Spirit stopped Paul twice from proclaiming the gospel in Asia (Acts 16:6-7). A vision, however, led him to Macedonia and the neighboring areas. Over the next few years, Paul had a successful season of preaching the gospel and winning converts. He also established a training school to prepare disciples.

Luke gives us a glimpse into the importance of this training school:

Paul taught the people there for two years. During that time, all the people who lived in Asia region heard the message about the Lord Jesus. This included Jews and Gentiles. Acts 19:10 (EASY)

Reaching Asia could have taken Paul years, but he was able to achieve so in a few years after learning how to raise co-labourers to harvest the fields. God never intended for Paul to work alone, and by waiting on God, Paul devised a fresh strategy to complete his mission.

Many believers are easily discouraged when God appears to hinder their plans or ignore their prayers. It is a challenge, especially in a world catered to instant gratification. Delays are not the same as denials. Delays are just that—detours. God often uses them to prepare you for what is to come. He may delay you, but He will not deny you from fulfilling your purpose.

Learn from Paul’s attitude during the delays and detours. Continue to believe and trust God. Paul had complete faith in God, regardless of where he was, what was going on, or who was on his side or against him.

Prayer enables us to see God’s heart and will in action. This is because God knows what He is doing, and He is already ahead of us. We are the ones who need to catch up. In other words, prayer is not about us getting through to God but about God getting through to us.

Don’t underestimate the power of prayer.

We need to believe God more than our present circumstances. When we don't pray, we can't see what God has done or is about to do. But when we do, we become more aware than ever of God's supernatural presence and power working inside us.  Praying brings God's preferred future into our present situation in life. Even as we await our Lord's return, we can now gladly rejoice that our ongoing suffering is little compared to the glory that awaits us (Romans 8:18).

Learn how to pray with a Kingdom focus.

We are not passive spectators, but active participants in the Kingdom. Prayer moves us forward in faith. When Jesus urges us to pray that God's will be done, He has something good in store for us. And out of this prayer we live as ambassadors of Christ, becoming more active and intentional in sharing the good news of Christ and doing good everywhere we go.

We are inextricably knit together by the love and life of Christ.

If we truly believe in the gospel of grace, our community will reveal and reflect it through acts of kindness and healing. Everyone is valuable and worth loving and worth looking after for as long as possible. This is why we see so many instances in the New Testament of brothers and sisters caring and supporting the sick and wounded until they recover.  Perhaps next time it will be the other way around, with these brothers and sisters needing help and healing to get back on their feet. This is one of the benefits of a Christ-like community. Everyone can give and receive.

The essence of a healthy community embodied many, if not all, of Christ's qualities. Love others around you and show them honour and respect. Be loyal to your friends and treat them kindly. Demonstrate hospitality and generosity and give without expectation. Make sacrifices for the good of others and show compassion when they least deserve or expect it. Show boldness and courage in doing the right thing even when it is not convenient or appreciated.  In short, when others see us, they see Jesus.

We lose our ability to love and live fully in Christ when we neglect or reject our part to connect and initiate community with our brothers and sisters. We can never truly feel like we belong and are welcome unless we make a genuine commitment to develop and mature in Christ together. Again, a healthy community cannot be achieved through our efforts, but rather through the Spirit, who bestows upon us the gifts of grace to do all things in Christ.

How you think of worship determines how you think of God.

When we gather to worship, we are not attending a performance or seeking entertainment. The Hebrew word for “give unto” is "yahab" which means deliberate or intentional giving. In the context of Psalm 29, worship is a deliberate decision on our part to give what is due to God, rather than something swayed by our moods or circumstances.

Worshipping God is about praising Him for who He is, and not just what He has done or will do. Rest your heart on the supernatural rather than the sensational or spectacular. Worship will allow you to experience the realm and reality of God's supernatural presence and provision. In the Bible, whenever people were engaged in worship, they began to see God change their circumstances. Worship does not make God "more" powerful; rather, it reminds us that He is already the Almighty and always will be!

When we worship, we give back to our Father what we have received from Him. We honour Him because He honours us by calling us sons and daughters. Growing more completely in love with Him allows us to transcend the boundaries of worshipping God only on Sundays to adoring Him every day.

The Trinity reveals to us that God is relational and loving and that anybody can have an intimate, personal relationship with Him. The more we pray, the more we experience God and His grace. However, praying involves more than simply telling God what we need. It is about letting God speak and guide us toward a deeper knowledge of our identity, relationships, and purpose.

Each member of the Trinity contributes to our prayer life.

We have full access to the Father's throne of grace because of Jesus' finished work. This raises our sense of expectation because we know we can count on God’s mercy and grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). We pray "in the name of Jesus" because Jesus has qualified our access to all the Father's promises through His finished work on the cross (2 Corinthians 1:20; 2 Peter 1:4).

When we don't know what to pray for or are afraid to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us in our weaknesses (Romans 8:26). He transforms our impoverished prayers into mighty ones that are in accordance with the Father's will. Let us learn to listen to the Holy Spirit rather than reacting to the situation. The Spirit within us is not a spirit of fear. Instead, the Spirit gives us power, love, and a sound mind, enabling us to put our trust in Him despite our anxieties, uncertainties, and challenges.

When we recognise and appreciate the important role the Trinity plays in prayer, we gain the faith and assurance we need to grow a strong and healthy prayer life.

The Gospel is inherently Trinitarian.

Each Person of The Trinity is equal, but each performs a distinct function. The Father loves us and gives His Son to us. The Son loves us and gives Himself for us. The Spirit loves us and gives Himself to live in us. We can see that God is incredibly relational—and by including us in the wonderful family of the Trinity, we can have close fellowship and relationship with him.

Our belonging in the Trinity teaches us how to live and serve as God's sons and daughters. This wonderful privilege of adoption and sonship liberates us from performance and self-effort. By assuming the position of a beloved child of God, you can do anything in His name with the fullness of His life flowing in and through you.

God's love for you never ceases, regardless of whether you have been faithful or faithless. On the other hand, knowing God's perfect love enables you to look beyond your flaws and imperfections and continue to move by faith rather than sight. Be certain that God who begins a good work in you will complete it on the day of Jesus' return (Philippians 1:6).

How we perceive the Trinity will influence how we live the Christian life.

Far from being an abstract theological concept, the doctrine of the Trinity is surprisingly practical. The gospel and the message of salvation wouldn't make sense unless all three Persons of the Trinity worked in unison.

The workplace is the only place where Christians and non-Christians regularly interact and hold each other accountable for their actions. You have many opportunities to spread the gospel and lead others to Jesus. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to consistently deliver high-quality work and strive for excellence.

Genesis tells us God Himself is a worker, and He created us to work—not only to make a living but also to experience joy and fulfillment. Jesus instructs His followers to be good people, good workers, and good witnesses. Hence, when you are diligent with everything you do, you are not only honoring God, but you also build up your credibility so that others will hear and respond positively to the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

There are times when faith conflicts with work. 

What appears to be profitable may not be morally or ethically sound. Your refusal to compromise may cost you. The Bible has examples of people who glorify God regardless of the consequences. Think about Joseph, Esther, Daniel, Nehemiah, and Jesus.

Their stories demonstrate how faith and a strong relationship with God can help you overcome challenges and achieve success in both your professional and personal life. Always act with integrity and do what is right, even if it is not the easiest or most convenient option. Jesus tells us that people may even praise God because of our examples and behaviors.
God will never forget or forsake you. When you seek to honor God and His Word, He will honor you in return. As a result, you will leave a legacy and a good name for His glory.

Many of us struggle to strike a better work-life balance.

The demands and pressures of work and family life and everything else in between can leave us feeling frustrated and exhausted. Too often, we allow the "tyranny of the urgent" to crowd out what is most important and most valuable, sacrificing worship for the sake of work.

We can learn from Jesus not to put work ahead of worship. Though He was busy, He never felt rushed. His seamless connection with God and commitment to accomplish the Father's will allow Jesus to carry out His earthly ministry effectively. 

There was nothing random about how Jesus lived His life. Everything He did had a purpose. It was all about glorifying His Heavenly Father. Even though He had a lot of work to do, He was active in a way that honored God. In other words, Jesus was always a worshipper above all else.

Just imagine if you learn to live like Jesus. 

Consider how your life might be different if you extended your worship beyond Sunday and into the rest of the week. Consider how your life may change if you went to work as a worshipper rather than a worker. Consider the impact you can have when Jesus is at the center of who you are and what you do in the workplace. Listen to Jesus and do what He says.

Six days you shall work (abad), but on the seventh day, you shall rest. Exodus 34:21 (NLT)

But as for me and my house, we will serve (abad) the Lord. Joshua 24:15 (ESV)

Avodah is derived from the root word, “abad” which appears in many Bible verses where its meaning is interchangeably used to describe worship, work, and service. 

God's original intent for us is to live an integrated and intentional life in which worship, work, and service are intimately intertwined. Though the Hebrews had a rest day, they considered every day as an occasion and opportunity for worship. The Psalms attested to this reality by describing how the people worshipped and honored God in all circumstances, good and bad.

Stress and burnout are caused by a lack of worship, not by too much work. We can learn from Jesus not to put work before worship. Despite his busy schedule, he never felt rushed. There was nothing random about how Jesus lived His life. Everything He did served a purpose. It was all about glorifying His Heavenly Father.  

We often strive for a work-life balance. However, work-life balance is like dieting in that you try it until it becomes too difficult to maintain. The avodah life, on the other hand, is a way of living that reflects our wholeness and well-being in Christ. Learn to rest in Christ and receive His grace to live an authentic life in which you follow His leading rather than setting your direction for your life.

The avodah life expresses the beauty of carrying God's presence with us wherever we go and living by God's power in whatever we do. Then everything we do becomes life-giving, worthwhile, and purposeful.