“Being confident in this, that He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

The Greek translation of ”confident” is peitho, and it means to be convinced or to trust in (The Strong’s NIV Exhaustive Concordance). What stands out the most to me about this verse is that we can trust God. This verse tells us that God is going to take care of helping us grow and leading us through situations; all we have to do is trust in Him and listen to His leading. The phrase to carry it on to completion means to finish or attain a goal. We can also know that God has a goal and a purpose for our lives, and He is going to accomplish those goals in us if we allow Him to.

What are some examples of people in the Bible who went through hard times, but God used those times to prepare them for the goal He had for them?

Ruth lost her husband, went through poverty, and moved to a foreign land where she could’ve been considered an outcast. She lost everything she knew, but instead of allowing bitterness and grief to get the best of her, she chose to trust Naomi’s God, who quickly became her God. God not only brought her a home and a husband, but allowed her to be part of the kingly lineage of Jesus Christ.

Do we always see the end result of God’s plan for our lives while we are on earth?

Hebrews 11 is all about biblical heroes of faith who went through great trials on earth, but who knew that what they were going through was for a greater purpose. Verses 13-16 and 32-40 of this chapter show that they did not always see what the good of their situations were until they were in heaven, but they still chose to trust God and were joyful through their situations because they had faith.

What things have you gone through in your life of which you are still waiting to see the purpose?

How do we not lose hope when we go through troubles and we don’t necessarily see God’s reason behind it?

What steps can you take to keep a joyful and confident attitude in the midst of uncertain circumstances?

Don’t lose heart, but remember that God will complete His good work in you!

Brittany Jean is a nineteen-year-old college student living in the Midwest with her parents and younger brother. She is currently majoring in pre-law and is planning on using that degree for ministry.

Today we are so fortunate to have a guest blogger at Only By Prayer. Brittany Jean is a nineteen-year-old college student living in the Midwest with her parents and younger brother. She is currently majoring in pre-law and is planning on using that degree for ministry.

Being confident in this, that He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

Sometimes it’s easy to get down and not understand why God put us on this planet. Sometimes, when everything seems to be falling apart, it’s hard to see what purpose God could possibly have for our lives and what good He could bring out of our simple situations.

While I don’t have the answers, and I don’t know why God allows some events to happen, or our lives to sometimes get completely out of our control, I do know one comforting fact. God is walking beside us, and He is constantly working in us until He brings us home.

A mistake that I personally can make is that when something difficult occurs, I blame myself and beat myself up about it. However, if I truly believed that God is working in me to bring about His glory and is making a “good work” in me, I would be able to forgive myself and realize that God has an ultimate purpose in my life.

For example, sometimes very godly people will lose their jobs, and while they trust God, they can begin to look back and start with the “if onlys.” “If only I hadn’t been as bold in my witness at work.” “If only I had put more personal time into my job.” “If only I had worked harder,” and the list can go on and on.  The fact is, we can’t go back and change our circumstances and situations. We need to trust that God knows what He’s doing and has a purpose for bringing us through the trials He has allowed in our lives.

When life seems difficult and hard to understand, we need to remember Philippians 1:6 and realize that, if we allow Him to, God is always walking beside us and is using the situations we go through for His ultimate glory. Instead of walking around in fear about what has or might happen, we can walk in confidence and allow God to use our hurt and hardships for His ultimate good–and ours.

Pray on!

How often have we been taught that being helpless is a bad thing?

I grew up in a family where my grandparents emigrated from Germany. They worked hard to establish a business, lost it all in the Great Depression and started over and did it again. I was taught that hard work and independence were important traits to have—and they are.

But it’s been revolutionizing to me lately to discover that our helplessness is the very thing that God is looking for in a person. What? Well in the book A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller, chapter 6 is actually about learning how to be helpless in prayer. He says that prayer is all about bringing your helplessness to Jesus. When we finally realize that we can do nothing lasting in our own strength and power and move out of the way and let God work through our weaknesses, then things start to happen. That’s what grace is all about.

Even more amazing, the more we mature in our Christian walk, the more helpless we realize we are, and the more God works through us. Jesus says in John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” And you know what? This is exactly how Jesus prayed and ministered. He did nothing apart from the power of God. “Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner,” John 5:19. So, feeling weak in a situation is actually a great thing. We turn to prayer and bring our helplessness to Jesus who sends the Holy Spirit to empower us.

Where are you weak today so that God can work?

Don’t see it as a hindrance, but rather see it as an opportunity for the power of God to work through your life. Has this ever happened with you? Feel free to share your comments on the blog.

Pray on!

Today we are so fortunate to have a guest blogger at Only By Prayer. Brittany Jean is a nineteen-year-old college student living in the Midwest with her parents and younger brother. She is currently majoring in pre-law and is planning on using that degree for ministry.

God is always there. That’s an easy concept to believe when we have everything figured out and life seems to be going perfectly. But then, a big trial always seems to come from nowhere and shake our foundation. For me, it was a huge bout of depression brought on by a lack of finances, the loss of my car, the breakup with my boyfriend, major health challenges, and an overwhelming load of college class work.

I lost hope and stopped believing God was there because I couldn’t feel Him. But it was just the opposite; God was closer to me than ever through this. He was taking away everything else I was clinging to so that I would only be able to cling to Him.

Once I had been emptied of everything the world would say defines me, God began to draw me to Him, taking care of all of my needs and worries. I can see God more clearly now than when I had everything. I have learned that only when I have been emptied of the world’s pleasures and successes, then can I be filled with the love and nearness of Christ.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in Spirit.” Psalm 34:18

Come back tomorrow for more from Brittany. We will post a devotional and study questions from her. Until then, pray on!

Update:  Click for Brittany’s study called When We Are Broken We Can See God’s Hand.

If you’re a high school or college student interested in guest blogging, drop me a line and tell my about yourself and what you’d like to write about: janevanosdol@me.com.

Jane VanOsdol

I thank God for my family on both sides that have given me a legacy to carry on. Both sets of parents have taught me the importance of praying and living a life that your children can look up to. This past weekend we celebrated the 50th wedding anniversary of my in-laws, Wil and Janet VanOsdol. (My parents, Bob and Kay, have been married for almost 54 Years!). This short video is of my daughter Amber and her boyfriend, Andrew Miller, singing to the grandparents at their party.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Are you frustrated with the progress you’re making in your prayer life? Or just in your spiritual life in general?

You know, I’ve found that being conformed to the image of Christ is rarely a fast process. It often involves times of struggle, pushing ahead, falling back and eventually making slow, steady progress. Sometimes change can happen quickly, but most often, I am in it for the long haul. And at times, it can seem that I’m not making much progress.

A few days ago, I discovered some fun caterpillars in my garden, and I’ve been keeping tabs on them. I discovered they’re Monarch butterfly caterpillars. It’s been exciting watching them. Now, exciting may seem like a oxymoron when used to describe a caterpillar, especially after you look at the short video clip I have of them here. Take a few seconds to look at the video, if you can.

You may think that outwardly nothing exciting was happening at all, but on the contrary, much is going on.

What tips can we learn from my friend the caterpillar to help us in our struggles?

1. Be focused. The caterpillar has one thing in mind—and that’s eating. That is his sole purpose at the moment. What is your focus right now? Identify the change you want or need to make. Do you want to grow or mature in your prayer life? Do you have a fruit of the spirit you need to cultivate? Write it down—make it official. Confess any sin that may be entangled in this change and then ask God to equip you through the Holy Spirit to make the change.
2. Choose your source of nourishment carefully. The Monarch caterpillar loves the milkweed plant as his host plant and will slowly eat his way through the leaves. But, I learned that the Indian hemp dogbane plant resembles the milkweed—it even has a milky substance; one major difference is that it is poisonous to the caterpillars and will kill them if they keep eating the dogbane. Think about what you’re taking in as your source of nourishment during this time of change or struggle in your life. Are you surrounding yourself with scripture, good music, prayer, biblical teaching, books and wise counsel? Or are you feeding on a diet of questionable TV, movies, music and activities that are slowly poisoning you?
3. Be diligent. Just like the caterpillar eats a bite at a time, keep plugging away, doing what you know is right. We can only break a sinful pattern or cultivate a new habit one decision at a time. As Christians, we have the wonderful resource of the Holy Spirit to help us.
4. Look to the inside. Realize when it seems  from all outward appearances that everything has ground to a halt, profound changes are happening on the inside. The Holy Spirit changes us from the inside out into Christ’s image.
5. Rest when you need to. The caterpillar sometimes takes breaks from his eating to just rest. At times, we need to do that too. It’s hard work changing. Do something fun. Read a good book, go for a walk, sit on the beach or take a nap. Recharge yourself for the next phase.
6. Submit to God. When the caterpillar is inside the chrysalis, he is submitted to the creator who is changing Him. We also need to allow God access to all areas of our lives as we are in the chrysalis of change so that He can slough off the dead and replace it with life.
7. Spread your wings. In the fullness of time, dare to fly into what God has for you now.

What  habit have you now attained? Is there a new ministry opening up for you? As you celebrate what God has accomplished in your life, be open to what God has for you next.

As you feel led, leave a comment on a struggle that God has brought you through. Your struggle may encourage someone else to keep on.

Pray on!