Each week during the "Hey God, Where Are You?" series we have a resource for you to use as you walk through these difficult questions. Whether it is a short blog to read or a practice to implement, our prayer is that these resources will help you dive deeper into the teaching and prompt Spirit-led conversations with those around you. These resources will also be shared on social media during the week for you to use and share with friends.

 

WEEK 5 // WHERE IS GOD IN DOUBT?

EXPLAIN: DOUBT AS A STEP OF FAITH

Purpose: Reframe the concept of doubt as a faith step. 

Doubt is a normal part of the Christian life. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that doubt is a bad thing.  

 Now, doubt can definitely lead to a loss of faith. However, doubt can also lead to a stronger faith. Charles Spurgeon said that doubt is like a raised foot that is poised to take a step forward or take a step back. It’s true that you may step back in your doubt, but it is also true that you never step forward until you actually pick your foot up. Sometimes having doubts about God and His goodness is the only way that we will ever take a step forward in faith. In fact, not wrestling with your doubts about God and His goodness is one of the most direct ways toward a loss of faith.  

 Think of a person who doesn’t wrestle with doubt like a human body without any vaccines. The science behind vaccines is that killed virus is put into your body so that your antibodies learn how to fight the virus and overcome it. It’s like training for your white blood cells: live fire, but not all out war. And you may get symptoms that feel like the real thing because there is a small amount of virus in you. However, as your body is fighting through that virus, what’ happening is that you’re getting stronger. 

 So that when a major virus really tries to attack your body, the idea is that you’ll be strong enough to fend it off and endure it because you’ve faced it before. 

 Is it possible that your struggle with doubt right now is part of God’s plan to make you stronger? 

 Doubt is a normal part of the Christian life and when it is processed well, it can lead to deeper, stronger faith. 

 

WEEK 4 // WHERE IS GOD IN DISAPPOINTMENT?

PRACTICE: BREATH PRAYERS

Purpose: Feel the presence of God even in disappointment. 

How do we go about our days in a way that sustains an awareness that we are citizens of another Kingdom? 

The apostle Paul talks about “praying unceasingly.” 

Brother Lawrence wrote about “practicing the presence of God”—an effort to fill his mind constantly with the knowledge of God’s presence. 

This may seem like a tall order. However, these lofty goals become attainable with the ancient prayer practice of breath prayers. 

DEFINITION OF BREATH PRAYERS 

Breath prayers are exactly what they sound like: prayers that can be said in a single breath. To practice this discipline, you simply take in a deep, calming breath and, while exhaling, pray quietly or aloud a simple phrase meant to reorient you to God’s presence and His kingdom. This is a practice that brings the whole person back to an awareness of God. 

The beauty of this practice is in its portability. There is no place, no meeting, no encounter in life where one can’t stop and take a slow, deep breath. If you practice it regularly, you’ll find yourself whispering prayers without having to think too much about it and they will simply be part of life. 

PRACTICING BREATH PRAYERS 

To practice this discipline, simply take in a deep, calming breath and, while exhaling, pray quietly or aloud a simple phrase meant to reorient you to God’s presence, his kingdom, and his good will for you. It’s a practice that brings the whole person—heart, mind, and body—back to an awareness of God’s presence. 

As you think about utilizing the practice of Breath Prayers throughout your day, consider these possibilities : 

  • Use a Verse: You might take a favorite verse of Scripture and adapt it. For example, Matthew 11:28 can become, “Lord I am weary give me rest.” Romans 8:1 can be prayed as a reminder that “there is no condemnation.” 
  • Use a Song: Other ways to utilize breath prayers are through songs or hymns. The line “Let me hide myself in thee” from Augustus Toplady’s classic hymn, “Rock of Ages”, is an effective way to re-orient your day around who you are in Christ. On the other hand, if you enjoy more contemporary music, the line “You turn graves into gardens, you turn bones into armies” from Elevation Worship’s appropriately titled, “Graves into Gardens” reminds us of God’s power in the world and in us. The creative possibilities are endless because each phrase is like the tip of an iceberg: it reaches back into a deeper, richer story and reminds us of a larger, God-filled world. 

WEEK 3 // WHERE IS GOD IN PAIN

PRACTICE: LAMENT

Purpose: Move from the pain of this world to the peace of God.

DEFINITION OF LAMENT

Lament is the process of moving from the pain of this world to the peace of God.

You see laments all over Psalms. There are 150 Psalms and 42 of them are Psalms of Lament. And in all 42 Psalms of Lament what you're going to see are the same three steps in the process: Complain, Ask, and Trust.

Complain

Godly complaint is simply bringing your questions and frustrations to God.

And I get it, some of you may hear that and you’re like, “I didn’t think we’re supposed to complain. Do everything without complaining or arguing, Paul said that in Philippians I think.” And yes, absolutely. But I will say there is a type of good and godly complaint in Scripture that is helpful to you in your pain because instead of being purposeless complaining, it’s purposeful complaining. Get the difference? Purposeful complaining will move you toward the peace of God.

You read the Psalms and you actually see lots of complaining filled with sorrow, fear, frustration, and confusion. And there's a reason for all of this because here's what godly complaint does – godly complaint will actually get you moving in this lament process from the pain of this world toward the peace of God.

And let me tell you a little secret about the process of lament. One of the most astounding things about being a child of the all-powerful, all-wise, all-loving King of the Universe is that He can take our complaints. What God will often do as we are pouring out our complaints to Him is that He will supernaturally turn our complaints toward comfort. So that's the first step.

Ask

First we complain to God, then we ask God to do something about it.

We take seriously our new identity in Christ, as sons and daughters to the King. We confidently draw near to the throne because He is our Father. This looks like saying, "God, you are the sovereign Lord of the universe and I’m asking you to answer me because you're my dad." 

I mean what kind of amazing paradox is that? To believe in the all-powerful, all-wise, unfathomably big God of the Universe and at the same time be able to confidently say, "Yeah that's my God. And I'm going to ask my God to do something about these questions I've got."

And listen, I don't want to undersell that paradox by the way. This is a pretty radical way to approach God. But we see through the Psalms of Lament, that this is what God desires of us, to bring our honest, raw, unfiltered feelings to Him with confidence that He can carry our burdens.

Trust

The final step in the process of lament is trust. It is to consciously make a decision to trust that God is in control. It is to walk in the midst of confusion, frustration, and pain but defiantly say, "I trust you."

Because while your situation might not have changed, through this process, God is changing you.

It's interesting, almost every Psalm of Lament, all 42 of them, has the phrase, "But I will..."

I'm going through this thing but I will trust, but I will sing, but I will defiantly declare in the middle of my pain that you are God, you are good, and you are in control. You know rejoicing and singing are some of the greatest acts of defiance and rebellion to pain that we have. Because when we sing even in the pain, we’re proclaiming that this pain will not have the final word over my life.

So what would it look like for you to be brutally honest with God about your pain this week? What would it look like for you to trust the process and choose to believe that God is sovereign, even when your circumstances are making you feel otherwise?

We invite you to try this. To cut out 15 minutes this week to intentionally sit before the Lord and bring your unfiltered pain to Him. We are confident that as you do, you will experience the Lord slowly bring you from overwhelming pain, into His overwhelming peace.

 

 

 

WEEK 2 // WHERE IS GOD IN CHAOS

PRACTICE: FIXED HOUR PRAYER

Purpose: Experience the stability of God’s presence in chaos. 

King David prayed seven times a day (Psalm 119:164). Daniel prayed three times a day (Daniel 6:10). 

Jesus learned to pray at set hours of the day as well. In the morning, he would have prayed the Shema: “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4) as well as a series of blessings known as the tephilla in the afternoon. Evening prayers were similar but included private petitions. 

After Jesus’ death, his disciples continued to pray at fixed hours of the day (Acts 3:1). This custom of praying at set daily intervals quickly became part of the early church’s rhythm of prayer, too. For example, an early manual of Christian practices called the Didache encouraged believers to pray the Lord’s Prayer three times daily. 

The spiritual discipline of Fixed Hour Prayer is a great way to fill your day with reminders of, and regular communication with, God. Consider making this rich prayer tradition of church history a part of your spiritual life. 

DEFINITION OF FIXED HOUR PRAYER 

Fixed Hour Prayer calls for pausing and praying through regular and consistent patterns throughout the day. 

PLANNING YOUR PRAYER TIMES 

As you think about applying Fixed Hour Prayer to your spiritual life, think about the following questions: 

  • What are the bookends of your day? Establishing a consistent rhythm at the beginning and end of your day is important for Fixed Hour Prayer. As Woody Allen famously said, 80% of success is just showing up, and showing up to meet God tired and groggy in the morning is better than delaying and not showing up at all. Likewise, showing up at the end of the day matters. Instead of crashing into bed exhausted and wired on TV, acknowledge that your are in the presence of God as you go to bed. 
  • What are the natural breaks in your day? Natural breaks include moments that could easily be repurposed into prayer times. Activities like mealtimes, commutes in the car, or the gym are natural moments to intersect prayer and acknowledge the presence of God. 

DOING YOUR PRAYER TIMES 

As you think about applying Fixed Hour Prayer to your spiritual life, consider the following points: 

  • Don’t be a hero. Take a small step that you can stick to. Start by establishing one new prayer time during the day. Set a timer for 5 minutes to pray during this new time. 
  • Have a plan. It’s wise to go into your prayer time with a plan or structure to help you stay focused. Consider praying the Psalms or your Life Group prayer request list. 
  • Own the night. If you wake in the middle of the night, don’t fight with yourself about why you are awake. Lean deeply into God and simply pray for the things that come to mind. 

WEEK 1 // WHERE IS GOD WHEN I RUN?

PRACTICE: THE EXAMEN

Purpose: Get to a point of assurance of God’s love when I run.  

DEFINITION OF THE EXAMEN 

The Examen walks through a process of reflection: examining our conscience and actions while paying attention to the ways that sin and selfish desires have a hold of us. As we look deep within ourselves and pay attention to the ways we’ve hurt others or hurt ourselves, what often comes to light are things we typically try to avoid - fear and anxiety, anger and bitterness, shame and sadness. 

Yet, instead of avoiding these emotions, in praying through the Examen we summon the courage to push further into them in order to be free of them. In this way, we can deal honestly with what’s inside of us, with what draws us away from God and the good life He offers, and so experience God’s love and mercy even in the deepest, darkest of places. 

THREE MOVEMENTS 

The Prayer of Examen is a practice that contains three movements: Examination, Confession, and Assurance 

Examination: Begin by sitting quietly and considering these reflection questions: Are you angry? Tense? Bitter? Ashamed? Frustrated? Scared? Allow the feelings and emotions that come to the surface inform you about the status of your own heart. 

See if any of your answers can be traced back to more basic human impulses: Are you seeking approval and failing to find it? Are you comparing yourself to others or some standard of perfectionism you hold? 

Confession: As you search your heart and God begins to bring things to your mind, confess your sins. Be specific. 

Ultimately, confession is about honesty and trust before our merciful God. What you say to Him in confession does not always have to be sins of commission, but rather can simply be honesty and authenticity about telling God about your emotions and trusting that He cares enough for you to listen (1 Peter 5:7). Consider using these phrases: 

“God, I am scared about _________.” 

“God, I am anxious about _________.” 

“God, I am angry about _________.” 

Assurance: The Examen always ends by remembering that the work of grace has already been accomplished by Jesus through His death and resurrection. Here, we must do what D. Martin Lloyd Jones called preaching the Gospel to ourselves. 

Dr. Jones said that ultimately the aim of Scripture is to teach yourself how to talk to yourself the right way. So consider these Scriptures to use for assurance: 

“As far as the East is from the West, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12) 

“I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:25) 

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)  

As we reflect on these Scriptures and remember God’s mercy, it is crucial that we look to Jesus’ reconciling work on the cross as the way that God has accomplished it.