How to Thank God Before It’s Any Better
“God, where are You? I keep praying and praying. I know these are things You want, too! Why aren’t You answering me?”
Months earlier, I had felt nudged by God to begin a daily, concerted prayer effort for my kids. My oldest, who was heading into 9th grade at the time, was struggling with anxiety and depression and all of the crummy stuff that goes along with being a teenager. She needed prayer. And since much of her anxiety centered around school, school was exactly where I focused my efforts. I began to walk the perimeter of her school each day and pray.
And let me tell you, those prayers were powerful. Within weeks, we saw changes in her and in her situation. I was amazed, thankful, and ready for God to bring to completion the work He had started.
And then we hit a bit of a wall.
Things got hard again. My daughter’s depression got worse. Then my middle kiddo developed some concerns of his own. My youngest, who has special needs, was having social struggles I couldn’t fix. Oh, and there was that whole issue of a pandemic that turned everybody’s world topsy-turvy.
I kept walking and praying. Day after day. I was confident. I was faithful. Week after week. I was certain God would fix it all.
It was not getting any better
But eventually, I got weary. My kids were hurting—I was hurting. Where was God? What happened to all of the great things I saw when I started praying? Why was He suddenly silent?
So I asked Him, as I mentioned earlier. “Where are you?” I was discouraged, frustrated, and more than a little whiny. Why on earth should I keep walking around my kids’ school like a fool if God wasn’t going to hold up His end of the bargain?
But here’s what is so great about God: He knows us and He loves us, even when we whine. He didn’t scoff at me or say, “I’m not answering your prayers when you use that tone, young lady!” Instead, He nudged me so gently.
He reminded me that He is always at work (John 5:17), that He daily bears our burdens (Psalm 68:19), and that He has a purpose and a plan (Romans 8:28). Then He encouraged me to change my perspective. What if, instead of looking at everything that is still “wrong,” I started thanking God for the ways I did see Him at work?
Where was God at work?
I started small. “Thank You, Lord, that my kiddo actually said, ‘I love you’ this morning when he got out of the car.” I thought harder. “Thank You that we all got to have dinner together last night. And that everyone was in a good mood. And thank You for the one-on-one time I got with Grace while we were driving to her rehearsal. And even though she was really upset about school, I’m so glad she felt comfortable to share with me. Thank You for that.”
Once I got on a roll, I was amazed at all of the ways God was at work in my life and in my family. No, I didn’t get the miraculous, instantaneous fix I wanted. But God was faithfully and consistently showing up for each person in my family. I just needed to slow down and take the time to see it.
Now when I do my prayer walks, I always spend the first half of my time praising God. I might start with a worship song or by reading a Psalm, and then I thank Him for the ways I’ve seen Him at work. I’ll be honest with you, we’re walking through another really hard season, and the “thank yous” don’t always just roll off my tongue with ease. But by intentionally shifting my focus, God has tuned my heart to see Him in my everyday, ordinary life—and in my kids’ lives—and that has made all of the difference!
Meet Katy Epling
Katy Epling is a writer and speaker in northeast Ohio. The author of Life on Purpose: 30 Days of Listening to the One Who Calls You, Katy loves to encourage others to honor God and live with purpose in their everyday, ordinary lives. Her writing has been featured on sites such as The Huffington Post, Today Parents, The Mighty, and Relevant Magazine. This month, Katy is hosting the Extraordinary Faith Summit, a free online event featuring 10+ fantastic teachers who will equip and encourage Christians who long to honor God right where He has them.
Katy and her husband Jon have three beautiful children, who provide her with never-ending material, both dramatic and comedic. When she isn’t writing or speaking, she can be found packing lunches, folding laundry, and making dinner. (And on rare occasions, sipping a chai latte with a friend.)
Where to find her . . .
Begin Within is a series to inspire a year-round lifestyle of gratitude that will impact not only your own life, but the lives of your neighbors as well. Gratitude is a theme we talk about often around here because it ties so closely into other missional living rhythms. Practicing gratitude reminds to keep our hearts soft and expectant and our eyes open. Therefore, the more we embrace gratitude, the easier it becomes to truly see our neighbors and where we can join what God is already doing in our neighborhoods.
If you would like to contribute to Begin Within, you can find the submission guidelines here.
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If you would like to cultivate rhythms in addition to gratitude that will empower you live on mission in your neighborhood, check out Cultivating a Missional Life: A 30-Day Devotional to Gently Help You Open Your Heart, Home, and Life to Your Neighbors. This small book will help you make a big impact in your neighborhood as you learn to let missional living flow from the inside out. Get the 30-day missional living challenge free when you purchase the book.
