#vaneetha rendall risner

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When Prayers Go Unanswered

The clouds of unanswered prayer can leave us feeling lost in the dark. But when God withholds what we ask for, he offers something better.

When looking back over my life, I can rejoice, really rejoice, that God didn’t answer all my prayers exactly the way I wanted. He gave me what I needed, not what I asked for, and I can see now that his refusals were his mercies. But amid unanswered prayer — when I’m begging for help and nothing changes, when pain overwhelms and healing doesn’t come — is joy even possible?

[craigtowens]

Whenever I feel annoyed or frustrated or angry, perhaps God is inviting me to examine my own heart instead of focusing my attention outward. Perhaps my irritation is an invitation from the Lord to go deeper with Him. God may be doing something far more important and more lasting in me than what is happening to me.

Vaneetha Rendall Risner

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

by Vaneetha Rendall Risner | | Years ago, I wrote an article to remind myself (and others) that even if my nightmares came true, God would be there, carrying me and comforting me. When we are obsessively searching Google, we are often wondering what we’ll do if the worst happens, or we’re trying to reassure ourselves that the worst won’t happen....

[craigtowens]

To find hope through suffering, I cannot be tied to a specific outcome. My hope is not that my situation will turn out a certain way, or that God will give me exactly what I want, but rather that God will always do what’s best for me. It is a living hope in a Savior who loves me, not in an outcome I feel entitled to. I need to trust that God wouldn’t allow anything that isn’t best for me, and that everything in my life is put there for my good.

Vaneetha Rendall Risner (see Romans 8:28)

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

God Wants Your Weakness

by Vaneetha Rendall Risner | I am not brave. I recently heard someone differentiate between bravery and courage, saying that bravery is the ability to take on difficult situations without fear, while courage is taking on difficult situations even when you’re afraid...

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Let Someone Serve You in Suffering

When we refuse to ask for help, we may think we are sparing others trouble. In reality, we may actually be denying them joy.

I don’t like asking for help. Frankly, I’d rather take care of myself, by myself.

But independence has become a thing of the past for me. Because of my disability and intensifying weakness, I can’t even get out of bed without help. My husband, Joel, shoulders nearly everything around our home, selflessly putting my needs before his. When he recently went out of town, I asked a friend to stay with me — though even that simple request felt humbling. I needed help with the smallest tasks: making coffee, bringing my food to the table, picking up afterward.

[icannotbejondenden47]

Worship Where You Are: Five Ways We Suffer Well

Does your life feel embattled, your fear great, and your faith frail? In Christ, God is not only with you in the fight. He will bless you th

Few chapters in Scripture have impacted me as much as 2 Chronicles 20. God has met me, often through tears, in this passage — a passage that continues to show me how to respond in crisis. I’ve learned to throw myself on the Lord in trial, to trust him when I can’t see results, and to worship in the midst of seemingly impossible situations. It also contains one of my go-to verses, words I whisper throughout the day when I feel helpless and unsure, in need of wisdom and help.