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Good morning, By My Side friends!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with your families and friends. I am feeling very grateful these days to our Lord for His many great blessings and graces He has bestowed upon my family and me over the years. I have continued to pray to Him for my family and friends.

Today, I want to share some experiences I’ve had when praying to Jesus, where my prayers didn’t get answered right away, and where His blessings upon my life have been delayed. I hope you find these helpful when feeling frustrated at times about seemingly unanswered prayers. Here we go.

Often, before we can be blessed, God may give us some or all of these 8 tests. When God prepares us for a blessing, it often comes after a series of trials that shape our faith and trust in Him. These tests are not meant to break our resolve but to prepare us for the greater things He has in store for us before our breakthrough.

This month, I will share the first 4 tests with you, and next month, I will share the final 4, as I want to take the time to explain each one.

 

  1. The test of Patience. God often tests our patience to see how we handle His timing, not ours. This can involve waiting for a relationship, a career breakthrough, or a personal goal. During this test, things may feel delayed or out of reach, but it’s in the waiting that God builds our perseverance and strengthens our faith, helping us learn to trust in His timing, not ours—if, in fact, our prayer request is His will for us. If it’s not, then He has a better plan for us.
    So in prayer, perhaps say, “Dear Jesus, please give me more patience to wait upon your timing for this blessing if in fact my prayer request is your will for me. If it’s not your will for me, help me to trust that you have a better plan and to be patient until you reveal your plan to me, dear Lord.”
  2. The test of Faith. Faith is believing in what you can’t see. God will often test whether we truly trust Him even when the path seems uncertain. This could mean stepping out of our comfort zone, leaving behind something familiar, or taking a leap of faith that makes no sense in the natural world. How we respond to challenges that require faith shows God that we trust Him to guide us, even when the outcome is unclear.
    So a little prayer could be, “Dear Jesus, increase my faith in you, and give me the inner desire to pray to you more often. Help strengthen my relationship and trust in you, dear Jesus.”
  3. The test of Obedience. Sometimes God will ask us to do something difficult, inconvenient, or against what we desire. We will receive these promptings when we pray. The test of obedience challenges whether we will follow God’s instructions even when they don’t align with our plans. If we can obey Him in the small things, He knows we are ready for greater blessings. Obedience opens the door for God’s best for us.
    Just pray this small prayer: “Dear Jesus or Holy Spirit, give me your guidance to obey you in this instance and give me the baby steps and motivation to do your will in obeying your request of me.”
  4. The test of Surrender. One of the hardest tests God gives us is the test of Surrender. This involves letting go of control, releasing our grip on something important, or trusting God with the outcome. Whether it’s a relationship, career, or personal dream, God may test our willingness to let go and allow Him to take the lead. Sometimes, we just need to get ourselves out of His way. True surrender shows that we trust God’s plans more than our own.
    So perhaps pray, “Dear Jesus, help me to have the desire to surrender my life and all the decisions I have to make over to you. Give me the desire to give up control and trust it all to you.”

Well, this is heavy Jesus relationship stuff, I know, guys. I’ve been tested with all of these tests. As I’ve become more aware and knowledgeable over the years of how God wants to work in my life and in my family’s lives, the blessings have been profound. I hope this helps a bit. The final 4 tests will be in December. Take care, everybody!

Love, MJ xo

MJ

MJ

Program Facilitator

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A program of spiritual friendship and healing for separated and divorced catholics

Queen of the Most Holy Rosary

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