Facing Trials - The (Almost) Comprehensive Guide

Welcome to my second blog post, thank you so much for being here!  I just want to start off by explaining how grateful I am that you found this, God is going to use this time in mighty ways as He always does when our hearts are right with Him!

Introduction

I am a twenty year old musician who will be explaining what has helped me get through my own trials as well as how I could better execute this process as a Christian musician.  Each one of you will be able to take something away from this blog post because we are all a work in progress until the day we die; none of us have it all together and we never will.  We all come to conversations, articles, and even scripture with built in biases even if they are unintended.  I pray that both my writing and your reading are done through the lens of Christ, this is a surefire way to rattle the devils cage.

1.) The very first step is to pray (Psalm 5:3; Philippians 1:19-20, 4:6; Thessalonians 5:17).  Out of all the things I could have picked to be first on the list I chose prayer.  Prayer exercises the following:

• Affirms our relationship with God
• Helps us combat our problems and stop running from them
• Is one of the many forms of worship
• Approaches God with humility and expectancy
• Changes our heart posture and makes it more grateful

The list above appears in no particular order of importance.  I do however want to focus on how prayer helps us combat our problems and stop running from them and approaching God with humility and expectancy.  Through prayer we are simultaneously admitting that we need His help and that we have a problem that we can't handle on our own.  This goes to be true in any relationship, we must realize that we have a problem before trying to fix the unknown; being prideful leads to destruction (Proverbs 16:18).  Likewise, our heart posture should be set in a way that reflects our trust in Christ.  By waiting for Him expectantly we shift our focus from what if He could to when He does.  What would happen if we lived like people who knew their prayers were going to do something?  How much more boldly would you pray if you knew that it could truly be done for you?

2.) The next step is to listen.  Yes, this is coming from a twenty year old who has an attention span of a fly!  I've been playing piano for just over five years now and know my way around it fairly well, yet I've never read a single sheet of piano music.  When I sit down to learn a new song I must listen to it several times before I am able to replicate it; the same thing applies to our faith.  Faith is like a muscle that we have to work out and God meets us where we're at (1 Corinthians 3:2).  I've been able to learn new songs at a much faster pace since I started, but that was only a result of the amount of practicing I did.  The phrase "practice makes perfect" almost hits the mark, I'd rather change it to "practice makes progress."  Even despite how much I love the piano, much of the repetitiveness is hard-tedious work.  I still choose to push through the nitty-gritty because I know that it will benefit me in the end.  The Lord will never leave us (Deuteronomy 3:18) and He is always with us during the hard practice

3.) The above steps do not help accomplish anything if you skip them or do them halfheartedly.  Once you have a firm foundation from steps on and two; meaning you have prayed about it and listened to the Lord's response.  Now it is time to apply and pray again!  James 1:22 says, "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves."  Other passages like 1 John 2:4 say, "The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."  So, if we claim to know Jesus, we must also keep His commands out of love.  The first step of application is to love Him.  As a creature that craves comfortability and is completely okay with the ordinary things of life it is hard to step outside your comfort zone.  God calls us into the most unexpected things because He gives opportunities to for us to grow in unexpected ways.

Trust in Him today and know that He understands our sufferings because He dealt with them too (Hebrews 4:15).

Further Study

• Psalms 5:3 (NASB20) In the morning, LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will present my prayer to You and be on the watch.
• Philippians 1:19-20 (NASB20) 19 for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 according to my eager expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
• Philippians 4:6 (NASB20) Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NASB20) Pray without ceasing.
• Proverbs 16:18 (NASB20) Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
• 1 Corinthians 3:2 (NASB20) I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able.
• Deuteronomy 31:8 (NASB20) “And the LORD is the One who is going ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not desert you or abandon you. Do not fear and do not be dismayed.”
• James 1:22 (NASB20) But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves.
  
• 1 John 2:4 (NASB20) The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
• Hebrews 4:15 (NASB20) For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin.