THE 3 TRIALS WE ALL EXPERIENCE (AND HOW TO DISCERN & CONQUER THEM)
TRAINING FOR REIGNING
It’s written that the “prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective.” However, if the apostle James who directed these words to the early Church was right, why do you suppose so many modern-day Believers feel as if they seldom ever experience the transformative power of their prayers? It serves us to remember that early Christians endured extremely difficult times; they expected to suffer. James’ letters point to this as he encouraged Believers to persevere and courageously live out the faith that they professed to believe. THE 3 TRIALS WE ALL EXPERIENCE (AND HOW TO DISCERN & CONQUER THEM)
So, back to the question at hand. Why do so many feel the fervent fire of their faith feign when challenges of any sort come against them? The way I see it, many modern-day Believers get lost in their theology. In other words, they may know very well where their help comes from but are often clueless at knowing why they experience trials or, worse yet, maybe many thought hardships would magically disappear once they became a Believer. This is a big problem! THE 3 TRIALS WE ALL EXPERIENCE (AND HOW TO DISCERN & CONQUER THEM)
Why? First, discerning the source of your challenges is key when approaching God with our supplications. Secondly, God’s insight and understanding of the trials and temptations that we face is our way-maker to conquering challenges; we must understand what’s coming against us and from where it’s coming. THE 3 TRIALS WE ALL EXPERIENCE (AND HOW TO DISCERN & CONQUER THEM)
SOLVING PROBLEMS WITH GOD
Proverbs 2:2,5 says that when you “make your ear attentive to wisdom; Incline your heart to understanding, you will understand the fear of the Lord, and discover the knowledge of God.”As a child of God, you have an upper hand in this life as the Holy Spirit has given you access to the mind of Christ—the infinite and eternal source for all things powerful, effective, and good! Do you know what this means? It means that you were made to solve life’s problems with God’s mind! THE 3 TRIALS WE ALL EXPERIENCE (AND HOW TO DISCERN & CONQUER THEM)
The first step to navigating trials and conquering challenges with God is to begin with learning how to discern the source from which they come. To help you get started, I’ve biblically broken down the three sources of trials that we may experience and God’s solution for each: THE 3 TRIALS WE ALL EXPERIENCE (AND HOW TO DISCERN & CONQUER THEM)
- God Trials: One source of trials that Believers may face can come from God and usually occurs when God is positioning His people to inhabit His promises. The apostle James reminds us to “consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4) Note that I did not say God tempts us. God-trials are not attempts to see if we will mess up nor will they bring harm upon us. Instead, trials from God ensure that we are, as James puts it, “lacking in nothing,” and are often a sign of promotion!
Solution: When we encounter a God-trial, we consider it joy and humble ourselves, submitting to God’s process so that we can inhabit the palace of His promises! THE 3 TRIALS WE ALL EXPERIENCE (AND HOW TO DISCERN & CONQUER THEM)
- Demonic Trials: A second type of trial Believers may face are trials that come from our enemy, the devil. What do we know about the devil? That he is a thief who comes to steal our peace, kill our destiny, and destroy our life (John 10:10). Remember in trials of this sort, our struggle is “not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)
Solution: When we encounter a trial of this kind, the last thing we should do as Believers is submit to it, allowing the devil to pummel us down. Instead, we must resist the devil, put on the armor of Christ, and do as 2 Corinthians 10:4 says — use our divine power to DEMOLISH these evil strongholds. THE 3 TRIALS WE ALL EXPERIENCE (AND HOW TO DISCERN & CONQUER THEM)
- Human Trials: The third type of trial Believers may face are trials that are often either blamed on the devil or credited to God, when in fact, it’s the result of sin or failure. I call it the spirit of stupid. According to the Bible, the consequence of sin is death. So, you can imagine how sin can wreak utter havoc on your life! Romans 6:16-18 has a reminder for each of us, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”
Solution: Repentance is the solution for trials we bring on ourselves as it’s a powerful act of spiritual maturity. Humbling ourselves to receive God’s forgiveness and His grace is what will empower us to be free to go and sin no more!
Now that you’ve learned about the three types of trials, knowing how to discern when you’re in the midst of one is pivotal to praying the powerful and effective prayers that James talks about. In fact, to get you activated in discerning the source of trails, here is a powerful exercise to develop you in discernment: THE 3 TRIALS WE ALL EXPERIENCE (AND HOW TO DISCERN & CONQUER THEM)
- Think of a trial you are currently facing. It can be anything that is a source of frustration, fear, or a perceived obstacle that needs to be addressed. Suggestion: Keep it straight forward. THE 3 TRIALS WE ALL EXPERIENCE (AND HOW TO DISCERN & CONQUER THEM)
An example of a problem might be: Due to Coronavirus, my spouse’s hours at work have been drastically reduced, and emotionally my spouse is in a fear spiral. Nothing I say seems to reassure or help them, and I’m growing more fearful every day. - Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to discern the source of your hardship. You may experience a knowing in your spirit, a vision, or an impression, or any of the various ways God speaks to you. Remember you have access to the mind of Christ and He greatly desires to give you His wisdom. THE 3 TRIALS WE ALL EXPERIENCE (AND HOW TO DISCERN & CONQUER THEM)
You will be discerning if the source of your trial is brought on by:
- God, to develop you in your destiny in which the solution is to submit to Him.
- The demonic, in which you need to exercise your God-given authority and resist the devil so he will flee from you.
- The result of bad decisions or the effect of sin in your life, requiring repentance.
- Once the Holy Spirit has revealed the source of your trial, take action. Do you need to submit, resist, or repent? God’s insights into the origin of your challenges will give you the power to pray an effective prayer as well as the wisdom to overcome what comes against you and transform your life today!
My prayer for you today and all Believers is that we would mature into the sons and daughters of God that we are; that we would be spiritually intelligent and walk with insight and wisdom that’s not of this world so that through our lives we can transform it. I pray this blog blessed you today
