1150 - How Christians Face Suffering#
1150 - How Christians Face Suffering
(JP Text Group - Organized by Life Like Eagles)
Let us pray together:
Loving Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You for leading us to Your presence. Keep us during this time today, allowing us to know You more deeply through Your Word. When we encounter problems in our lives, may we stand strong on Your promises.
At this moment, may the Holy Spirit guide each of our hearts, leading us during this time, so that we may receive revelation and strength from Your Word. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!
Romans 5:1-5,
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope; 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Our topic is How Christians Face Suffering.
You can also understand this suffering as trials. When trials come, how should we face them? Should we complain and lose heart, or should we stand firm on the promises?
At the beginning of this article, it mentions that we are a group of people justified by faith. Moreover, through our Lord Jesus Christ, we are now reconciled with God. Before we were justified by faith, we were enemies of God, often doing things that provoke Him to anger. But now, through our Lord Jesus, we have been reconciled with God, and because of our faith, we now stand in this grace, not under the law. We are not in opposition to God; we stand in His grace and can rejoice in hope of His glory.
Verse 3 tells us that we can rejoice every day, and we can hope for God's glory, even in suffering. When we are joyful, at peace, and filled with joy, we can hope for God's glory. But here Paul tells us that even in suffering, we should still rejoice.
Not many can rejoice in suffering because, in suffering, many people most desire to understand why this is happening to them. The more they think about it, the more unfair it seems, the more they feel wronged, and in the end, they are not rejoicing but start to complain against God.
This does not mean that today we are better than others and will not complain. Complaining is a human nature, just like the Israelites. They experienced God's great grace and witnessed many miracles, yet when trials came, they still complained against God.
In fact, they did not understand God or suffering. Why does Paul tell us to rejoice in suffering? Because suffering produces endurance.
If a person lives a life of peace and safety, it is hard for them to develop the character of endurance. In most cases, we cannot change our larger environment. For example, if you have a terrible, irritable boss, but you must work at that company for a living, when facing this boss, what do you need? To suppress your own personality and endure.
At this time, you might not say what should be said. In fact, in such situations, the character of endurance is developed, and this character is formed in suffering, not in peace. Suffering produces endurance, and what does endurance produce? Character. Therefore, people who have gone through some suffering have a different understanding of things and how to deal with them compared to ordinary people.
For example, let's take a practical example. When many companies are hiring, what do they first look for? Do you have experience in this field? Why do they look for work experience? Because this experience reflects your level of proficiency; are you a seasoned person? They do not want to hire someone who has never been in this industry; they prefer seasoned individuals because these people have encountered many trials or difficulties. In difficulties, they gradually develop the character of being seasoned, and in being seasoned, they do not lose heart but find ways to solve problems. Such character is extremely valuable.
Since God allows suffering to occur in this world, it must be beneficial to us. Sometimes we do not understand, but you must know one thing: the Bible tells us that all things work together for good for those who love God. Thank the Lord!
Do not ask why this is happening to you. When things happen, we pray to God, asking Him to help us overcome these problems. And we must believe that God makes all things work together for our good. When we believe this, we can rejoice in suffering.
When we have the character of being seasoned, we will not be impatient when facing issues; instead, we will show calmness and composure in our dealings with God. Thank the Lord! Because you know that even if the current environment is bad, it will not be long before God turns this bad situation into something beneficial for us.
Verse 5 says, hope does not put us to shame. In other words, today if you have hope in God, you will ultimately not be ashamed. Why? Because the Holy Spirit has poured God's love into our hearts. This means that today, even if you do not understand, you must know that He who governs all things can turn bad things into good things and curses into blessings. Those who rely on Him will not be ashamed. God has poured His love into your heart; you know that God loves you, and that is enough.
Many people's understanding of suffering is incorrect. In many people's subconscious (referring to Christians), after they believe in Jesus, they do not understand why there are still so many sufferings and persecutions. Don't we always say that the Lord Jesus is omnipotent? Can He not allow me to live in peace forever? This is a human thought. The reason many people lose heart is that since God is omnipotent, He should keep me safe and let me live in peace forever.
But I tell you, brothers and sisters, Jesus never promised that once you believe in Him, you will be on a path of peace and will not encounter any suffering. But He has given us the way to overcome all suffering and persecution, relying on His Word to be victorious.
Some believe that believing in Jesus is a path of suffering. Look at Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
This statement makes many people unwilling to believe in Jesus anymore. Some say that the path of the cross is tiring and painful, filled with thorns and persecutions, and you must walk it. If you want to enter the kingdom of heaven, you must carry such a cross until the end of your life. Look at the cross that Jesus carried; how painful it was! He was whipped, persecuted, and humiliated, carrying His painful and humiliating cross step by step toward Golgotha. If Jesus went through this, can we escape? Do you still want a smooth sailing life? That is impossible; the path Jesus walked, we must also walk.
Brothers and sisters, if you hear such a message, I suggest you stop listening to it because the more you hear, the less faith and hope you will have. God's Word gives us eternal joy and hope; in any circumstance, our faith will not wane.
In the past, many people believed wrongly. Some families have a husband who does not believe and beats the sister every day. When she comes to church, her pastor tells her that your husband is your cross, and you should never think of escaping this cross in your life. You must carry this cross daily and follow Jesus; you must endure! You must endure! You must endure until the end of your life.
If you accepted such a 'gospel,' can you really feel God's love? You might feel that God has arranged a twisted and difficult path full of suffering for you. But is the cross really like this? Are those who follow Jesus all that painful? No, this is not the gospel.
Some people say, look at Paul; he was such a man of faith. Look at his life; how tragic and painful it was. He spent most of his life in prison, preaching the gospel and suffering persecution. Look, this is what being a Christian is! Our lives are like this; no one can escape this cross. Believing in Jesus means suffering.
The key lies in what you believe. Just like we shared earlier, there are two extremes: one believes that believing in Jesus should mean peace and smooth sailing, and no suffering should come; while the other believes it should be filled with suffering, and you must endure to the end to be saved. These are two extreme teachings. Today we need to understand God's will correctly from the Bible.
So let us share the first point: Our suffering is not given by God.
In the Old Testament, under the law, many people did not understand God well enough, or they did not understand the situation in the Bible at that time. Why did God do that? Let me give you a few examples from the Bible, and you may understand.
In Ruth 1:21, Naomi's family went to Moab because there was a famine in Bethlehem. When she returned, only she and her daughter-in-law Ruth remained; all her children had died. When the two returned, someone met her and said, "Is this not Naomi?" At that time, how did Naomi respond?
Ruth 1:20-21 Naomi said to them, "Do not call me Naomi (which means pleasant); call me Mara (which means bitter), for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?"
Mara means bitter. Did you notice? She thought this suffering was given to her by God.
Brothers and sisters, God does not use this method to let us know Him. God does not educate His children in this way, to make you understand His grace by killing your two sons and making you return as a widow with nothing after going out with great wealth. This is not what our God does.
Originally, Naomi's family went out, and they spent everything in a foreign land. When she returned, she complained against God because she did not know God. She thought this calamity was sent by God. If today you also think that suffering is given to you by God to train you and make you seasoned, you are wrong. God does not use this method to help us grow. For example, to help a child stand up and walk, a father would not intentionally slap him to the ground and make him get up by himself, then slap him again, saying, "I am training you to stand up quickly." No such father exists. He would support him and help him walk.
Another person is Job. Many people, especially those who have suffered some trials, like to compare themselves to Job, saying, "Oh, the suffering I am experiencing is just like Job's." But where did Job's suffering come from?
When we read the Book of Job, we clearly know that this suffering was not sent by God but was inflicted on Job by the devil. However, Job did not know this. When his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die." What did Job say? In Job 2:10, he said, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?"
Job believed that God is a God of blessing and also a God of calamity. Of course, you can understand calamity as suffering, trials, persecution, etc. Under the Old Testament law, Job's time did not have the law. When we see the Israelites, this group of people under the law, when they violated the law, God indeed sent some calamities. But today, these things will not happen to us because Jesus fulfilled the righteousness required by the law on the cross. He shed His blood and sacrificed for our sins; God will no longer punish us in this way.
Colossians 2:13-15
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
Originally, we were dead in our trespasses. The old sinful us, filled with sin, has died. God has forgiven all our trespasses and made us alive together with Christ. So now, every person who believes in Jesus is a new creation, we are new, brothers and sisters.
Colossians 2:14 specifically tells us, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands, this he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
Brothers and sisters, do you see? God will no longer send calamities upon us because Jesus has fulfilled the law for us and has canceled the legal demands against us. Brothers and sisters, do you know what the law has that can accuse us? You can read Deuteronomy 28, which mentions that if you do not obey all my laws and commandments, the following calamities will pursue you until you die. Quite terrifying, right? But on the other hand, God also has blessings. If you obey all my laws and commandments, the following blessings will pursue you; you cannot escape them. Thank the Lord!
Today we do not have to obey that law because Jesus has obeyed it for you. He took away all the curses in the second half of Deuteronomy 28 and nailed them to the cross. Today, when you read the Bible, you should see what Jesus has accomplished on the cross; which promises we need to rely on and apply to ourselves. Deuteronomy 28 is a very clear example. The blessings mentioned in the front can be obtained today because Jesus has fulfilled all the laws and commandments for you. What God requires, He has completed; and the many curses written afterward can actually be overlooked because they will not come upon you. Thank the Lord! This is what Jesus has done for us, so He has blocked many calamities; God cannot send calamities upon you anymore.
John 16:33 tells us,
"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
Brothers and sisters, this is a very important statement. Jesus clearly knows that today we will encounter tribulations in this world, but we do not need to worry or be afraid because He has overcome the world. This means that today, when you have problems, tribulations, or sufferings, you only need to find Jesus, and He can solve your problems.
Many people ask, since suffering is not given by God, where does it come from? The trials, temptations, and tests in the Bible are not done by God; they come from the devil, but God allows them. So you can understand that suffering is not given by God, calamity is not given by God, but some things God has allowed. Why does God allow this? He clearly knows that this is not good; why does He still allow it? What is going on?
Let us briefly share three points on why Christians encounter these sufferings.
First, falling from grace and pulling oneself back under the law.
For example, a person who is not sick and is in good health may think all day long: "Oh, am I getting sick? Oh, is there something wrong with my liver? Many people around me have cancer; am I also about to get it?" If you think like this all day, you are pulling yourself back under the law. The longer you think about it, the more likely you will have problems. Because you leave an opening for the devil to attack you, at this time, if you keep thinking like this, God cannot force you to do anything because you are deliberately thinking this way; you are pulling yourself back under the law and falling into temptation.
Second, being led by personal desires due to not understanding God's will.
Many people act according to their own flesh and end up falling into the enemy's trap, thinking that God is not protecting them. They complain against God.
James 1:14-17
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Third, suffering persecution for the name of the Lord Jesus.
We should actually feel happy about this because if we suffer some trials for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, there will be great rewards in the future.
Today we share from Hebrews 11:35-40, which provides an explanation for this.
35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned; they were sawn in two; they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
Many people experienced miracles for the sake of the gospel; many endured torture. The phrase "refusing to accept release" in the original language means that they could have had the opportunity to be released, but they gave up that opportunity. Why did they choose to give it up? Because they wanted to attain a better resurrection. Look at some who were flogged, imprisoned, and so on; they joyfully endured these because they knew the reward from the Lord was great.
These people in the Old Testament did not see the complete promise; we have seen it. The people in the Old Testament were always longing for the Messiah, but they never saw what the Messiah accomplished. They endured suffering with hope; but we are different; we have seen the work Jesus accomplished on the cross. Therefore, even if trials come, we should not give up; we should rejoice and have hope!
What has God prepared for us? Although those in the Old Testament had great faith, including Abraham, who accomplished many great things by faith, today they cannot compare to us. At that time, when they offered sacrifices to God, they used the blood of bulls and goats to cover their sins.
We are different; we have the precious blood of Jesus Christ, which does not just cover but completely removes all our sins. We have received a better covenant; although they clearly had the opportunity to be released, they rejected it. Why did they do this? Because they wanted to attain a better resurrection.
Brothers and sisters, throughout history, many people have been martyred for the name of the Lord Jesus. They died for the sake of the gospel and for Jesus Christ, but these people had no regrets. For example, during the time of Emperor Nero, Rome was widely slaughtering Christians, tying them in the middle of the Colosseum to be torn apart by animals, or crucifying them, pouring oil on them to burn them alive. But before these people died, they sang hymns loudly, praising Jesus, not denying Him, and holding fast to their faith until the end.
Why were these people not afraid and did not complain? Why were they fearless in the face of suffering?
Because they saw the eternal kingdom of heaven. They knew that after leaving this world, they would be forever with Jesus. In the eyes of the world, these people seemed to have died, but the Bible says that Jesus said they are asleep and will awaken in a better resurrection. Thank the Lord!
Then we see Philippians 1:22, which says, what are we living for in the flesh?
If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which shall I choose? I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.
What does Paul say in suffering? He says that if I can accomplish fruitful labor, I really do not know what to choose. Choosing to die and return to Jesus is wonderful; he says he desires to depart and be with Christ because that kingdom is far better than here, a place that is truly beautiful.
Verse 24 says, "But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account." For you, actually for whom? For us. Paul chose to continue living and endure suffering to let more people understand the gospel. Paul was not afraid of death. The reason he lived was to preach the gospel and accomplish fruitful labor, allowing us to understand the grace of Jesus Christ more clearly.
Everyone in this world will encounter suffering, but today where is our difference? It is that today when you believe, God will save you; when you do not believe, when you encounter suffering, you are saving yourself, which is entirely uncertain. Today we are different; if we are attacked and slandered for the name of the Lord, you should actually feel happy. You should rejoice because those who suffer for the Lord are blessed. God will remember the persecution you have endured and reward you.
Matthew 5:11-12,
"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Brothers and sisters, do you not see? Jesus Himself tells us that if people persecute you, revile you, and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely for the sake of the gospel, you are blessed. You should rejoice and be glad because you are on the right path, and there is an eternal reward stored up for you in heaven.
Let me give you an example from the Bible. Peter understood very well what this statement meant. Later, when he preached the gospel of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the council, many people listened to him, and as a result, they had the apostles beaten and commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus anymore. Acts 5:40 tells us that they brought them out of the council. When these people left the council, they rejoiced because they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. Verse 42 says they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus, in the temple and from house to house.
Do you see? They were originally preaching the gospel in the church, but the people under the law persecuted those who preached the gospel of Jesus. The legalists beat them, and they were instead very joyful, saying they were dishonored for the Lord's name. From that time on, they taught people every day in the council, preaching that Jesus is the Christ.
Paul explained the suffering of Christians in 1 Corinthians 4:11-15, saying, "To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel."
Brothers and sisters, this is the actual life of Christians. These things are unavoidable. Today, indeed many people are slandered and reviled for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Others see us as the scum of the world, the refuse of all things, but so what? Paul said, "I write these things not to make you ashamed, but to tell us that today we will not be ashamed, just like we read at the beginning of this article, hope does not put us to shame."
Paul said his experience was like a play, performed for angels and men to watch. Today we can see through the Bible the experiences of these spiritual predecessors. Why did God include their experiences of suffering in the Bible? It is actually beneficial for us; it teaches us not to lose heart in suffering but to be filled with hope.
We share the second point: Follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
God's will does not want us to suffer; this is a fact. But many times, people deliberately extinguish the prompting of the Holy Spirit and do not want to live according to God's Word, resulting in falling into temptation and encountering bad things. But that loving Father will still help you and rescue you. He rescues you, but it does not mean God is pleased with you acting according to your desires.
Today many people seek God in suffering, and God also rescues them, but this does not mean that God is willing for them to act in that way. In fact, many things they could completely avoid going through those sufferings. God has prepared a good path for us. If you follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you will not encounter such sufferings. Let us give two examples:
The first person is Jonah in the Old Testament. Jonah understood God's will very well. God clearly told him to go to Nineveh and preach the gospel because in forty days He would destroy that city. However, Jonah was a very patriotic person. He knew that Nineveh was a city of great sin, and the Assyrian army had repeatedly attacked them. Today they deserved to die; why should I go preach the gospel to them? Why should they escape this calamity? Jonah was very unwilling to do this.
God told him to go to Nineveh, but he went in the opposite direction. What happened? He encountered great trouble at sea. As soon as he got on the ship, a great storm arose. No matter how they struggled, the ship could not reach the shore. Finally, they threw all the valuable things overboard, but it was still useless. People were about to die. Did Jonah know who caused this trouble? He knew. Jonah said to the people on the ship, "Throw me into the sea, and it will be fine!" At first, those people were unwilling, but in the end, they had no choice but to throw Jonah into the sea. As soon as he was thrown in, the storm immediately stopped!
God did not let him die; He made him stay in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. This was actually giving Jonah a chance to understand that God loves those souls. So Jonah finally thought for three days and three nights in the fish's belly, "This is too uncomfortable. I can see the fish grass and the little fish I swallowed. I cannot get out of here; what should I do?" So he realized that God wanted him to go, which was good for him, so he agreed to go.
God used a fish, not a ship, to transport him to where he was supposed to go, and the fish spit him out on the shore. Brothers and sisters, do you see? He returned to the will he was originally supposed to be in. If he had not been so stubborn, he would not have needed to suffer this pain. If he had listened to God's words from the beginning, he would not have had to end up in the belly of the fish or be thrown into the sea. This suffering could have been completely avoided.
Let me give you another example from the New Testament, Paul. Was Paul a man of great faith? But Paul also deliberately resisted the Holy Spirit and extinguished the prompting of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 21, Paul was preparing to return to Jerusalem to preach the gospel, but the Holy Spirit clearly prompted him not to go to Jerusalem. Brothers and sisters, do you know that when the Holy Spirit reminds us, we must obey; otherwise, we will bring unnecessary suffering and trials upon ourselves.
Paul knew it was dangerous to go to Jerusalem, but he still wanted to go. After a few days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea to where Paul was. He took Paul's belt and bound his own hands and feet, saying, "The Holy Spirit says, 'This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'" At this time, the prophet came again to tell him not to go.
Acts 21:12 tells us that when the local people heard these words, they urged Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. What did Paul say at that time? In Acts 21:13-14, Paul said, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."
It sounds so great, a person who is not afraid of death, not afraid of being bound, not afraid of being whipped, makes us feel that this person has great faith! Why did the Holy Spirit not want him to go? At that time, Paul might not have understood this issue and did not specifically pray about it. Paul was willing to go, saying that even if he died there, he would go. He did not listen to the advice, so brothers and sisters said, "Well, let the Lord's will be done."
What happened? He encountered many sufferings there, and several times he was almost torn apart. The gospel was not spread, and the ministry was not accomplished. God still led him away from there.
Today, many Christians may suffer like this. Some people do not understand God's Word and act according to their own ideas. They are willing to do so. In fact, if they had followed the guidance of the Holy Spirit, some things could have been avoided.
Acts 22:18, when he was praying in the temple, I saw the Lord saying to me, 'Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'
Brothers and sisters, do you see? The Holy Spirit said from the beginning, "Do not go there, because if you go, you will labor in vain." But Paul did not listen and insisted on going. He did do the work there, but it was of no use because the Holy Spirit also told him, "Leave, do not delay; hurry up and go, do not stay here, because no one will accept your testimony here." So he left. Brothers and sisters, this does not mean that God abandoned the local people of Jerusalem; it was just not the right time.
If today you understand and are clear about God's guidance, even if there are sufferings ahead, God will give you strength, open the way for you, and make it easy for you to overcome these sufferings. The work you do will not be in vain; it will not be without effect. We must learn to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and you can avoid unnecessary sufferings like Paul and Jonah.
In our lives, we already have enough suffering; we do not need to deliberately resist the prompting of the Holy Spirit and bring suffering upon ourselves. Jesus indeed said, "You shall go and preach the gospel to all nations," but you must choose your world correctly. It is not based on your own ideas; you cannot just go wherever you want. Before you go out, you must pray earnestly about your journey before God. If you learn to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, even if you encounter suffering, it will not affect you, and your ministry will not be hindered. Brothers and sisters, because God is opening the way, do not rely on your own strength to do things.
If God sends you to a place and you find there are no resources, as long as it is a place God has sent you to, as long as God is with you, He will surely prepare resources for you and also guide you, giving you strength to overcome the obstacles you encounter. You will feel very relaxed in dealing with these matters.
Some may ask, how do I know the guidance of the Holy Spirit? If you are a person who often prays and has an intimate relationship with God, you will clearly know God's guidance for you. This is a relationship that is hard to explain in words, but you just know that God wants you to do this. If some people do not understand God's guidance, I can give you a small suggestion, but it is not a standard, just a suggestion.
Many people say that as long as you have peace in your heart when you pray, that is God's guidance for you. This is not necessarily correct because if a person has personal desires, even if they know it does not align with the Bible, they may still feel peace in their hearts. Just like I have told some people not to invest in high-return businesses; those are scams. As a result, someone told me, "I prayed, and I feel very peaceful." In the end, they lost a lot of money. This was not from the Holy Spirit but from their own desires.
In fact, this should be reversed. When you pray about something and feel very uneasy, for example, you pray, "Lord, I want to go to Jerusalem to preach the gospel. I will sell my property and travel to the Holy City to preach to the surrounding countries. Is that okay?" If you pray and find that you feel very uneasy, there may be many concerns, fears, and worries. At this time, you should keep praying about this matter. If you continue to feel uneasy, then you should temporarily refrain from doing it. This is one method, but it is not a standard.
Brothers and sisters, learn to listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit before God; His guidance is the correct path. The Holy Spirit's guidance will never deliberately lead us into suffering that we cannot overcome, making us lose heart. Although there are problems ahead, He will help you open the way, allowing you to avoid many sufferings. Brothers and sisters, this is a method.
Well, let us conclude with a testimony.
A few years ago, I met a couple who were very loving towards the Lord. This couple often prayed in tongues. One time, they went to attend a meeting, and since they were driving, they were on the road when the Holy Spirit prompted them to stop the car and pray. They said, "Lord, we are almost at the meeting place; can we not pray there?" At that moment, the Holy Spirit prompted them again, saying, "You need to stop the car and pray by the roadside."
When this prompting appeared for the second time, the couple stopped the car, knelt by the roadside, and prayed for about half an hour. At that point, they felt very peaceful, and then they no longer felt the prompting to continue praying, so they said it was time to go since they knew they were late. The couple drove forward again.
After driving for about twenty minutes, they saw a huge overpass collapse ahead. At that moment, the pastor calculated his speed and time, and if he had continued at that speed, he would have been right under the bridge when it collapsed. Brothers and sisters, do you know? The Holy Spirit already knew what was going to happen ahead, so He prompted them to stop and pray. They did not know what they were praying about, but the Holy Spirit was blocking the calamity from coming upon them. This is a very important matter.
If you feel very uneasy about something, or if you think of a certain person and feel very uneasy, you should pray for them because they may soon encounter some suffering. At this time, if you pray for them, God will intervene to stop their journey. Thank the Lord! This has saved many people in our church, brothers and sisters. Therefore, we hope that you can all become people guided by the Holy Spirit before God. Thank and praise the Lord!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. You are my Lord, and You will keep the path ahead of me. No matter what happens, when I call upon You, You will hear my prayer and guide me on the path of righteousness. Although there are sufferings, I know You are with me and will give me strength to overcome all of this. And in this, I will develop beautiful character. In any situation, we will not lose heart but be filled with hope.
Lord, we thank You for allowing us to see from the Bible that Your will for us is good. You want Your children to be victorious in all things. Hallelujah, glory be to You! We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!