When the People of God Pray
In January, Pastor Mark challenged us to pray fervently for something through Easter. My husband, Will, and I both wrote down that we would pray for a new job opportunity for him as his current job didn’t have future growth opportunities and many of the people he worked with created an unhealthy work environment.
I began waking up before everyone in the house was up, praying almost every morning. And as I prayed, my prayers for him evolved from just asking for a new job to learning current contentment, patience, trust, etc. At the same time, my husband began meeting with one of our Small Group members to pray and read the Bible together.
Like others, we have such a busy life. At the time, Will was applying to jobs, fathering our son, preparing for our second son on the way, renovating a duplex we bought and would be the landlords of, working his current job, and the list went on. We knew something had to give but we weren’t sure what. Will was sharing this frustration with his mentor—how he wanted a new job, was continually applying to positions that fit his experience and had been met with rejection time after time. We weren’t sure what God was trying to say or teach us during this time of desiring something so badly and being met with waiting. His mentor challenged him to stop applying to jobs for six weeks, pray more about it, and see what God might say or do.
The way God shaped the next month, once we released control of finding a new job, was nothing short of incredible! A company that Will applied to more than three months ago reached out to him for an interview, and within a week of his first interview, he received a job offer to which he accepted and is starting this month. This all happened right over the Easter weekend! Just when we thought, “Let’s give up on a new job for a while, certainly the hope of a new job by Easter,” God proved faithful and capable. In two weeks, he brought into fruition in two weeks something we tried to do for more than six months.
None of this was our doing—all glory to God! I want to share because I truly believe the act of prayer has taught us so much, and so much good has come from it. My husband and I have started praying together as a result of this experience. It’s not just about a job. It’s about our family and so many other things; it has spurred a mutual spiritual relationship we did not have before. We have learned about patience, trust, surrender, and obedience.
Over the past four months, we’ve had so much anxiety and trust in ourselves and questioning. But it is all nothing compared to God’s faithfulness and provision. He has woven this. His plan is so good, and we can trust in that—and now we have something we can forever look back on and remember and trust.