Focus on this scripture throughout the day. It’s about the pulverizing power of God’s Word. It’s like a hammer; so use it by speaking it! It’s what He desires us to believe. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth. Speak this Word to yourself throughout the day.
Have you prayed for a child for a LOONNGG time? Do you feel like God is ignoring your request or is somehow holding back the one thing that you desire with all of your being? Today, I want to encourage you to not give up while you wait.
Take a look at the Bible’s account about the prophet Daniel and the delay he experienced in the manifestation of his requests to God (Daniel 10:1-12). Daniel was a man of boldness; he was not afraid to pray and trust in God, even when it was illegal for him to do so. Daniel prayed earnestly—he had “set his heart,” that is, devoted himself, to this thing he was praying about.
The Scriptures give the account of how the prophet lamented for 21 days, not understanding why he had not yet heard from God. He mourned during that time, not eating, not anointing himself. Is it possible that the waiting had become a distraction to Daniel? Could it be that in the waiting his focus had changed from the faithfulness of God to the troublesome circumstances surrounding him? Not necessarily. There could be something else working behind the scenes to cause the delay in manifestation.
Do you sometimes wonder WHEN God’s promises will manifest in your life? Delays are a strategic tactic of the devil. It’s during the delays that he seeks to fill your mind with doubt. He wants you to ever so slowly lose your trust in God’s willingness to answer your prayer. He wants you to become hopeless, thinking that having a baby will never happen for you. 
The devil wants you to believe that God’s promises of fertility are not true for you. He wants you distracted, stressed out, and anxious about your future rather than resting in knowing that God’s promises are true for you.
But, when you look up and see Jesus in the midst of your situation, you see more clearly that He is right there with you. He’s loving you and wanting to give you the desires of your heart. In Daniel’s case, when he looked up and saw God’s messenger, the messenger acknowledged, “I have come in response to your words” (Daniel 10:12 NASB). He said he had been dispatched to bring the answer as soon as God heard Daniel’s request.
What had caused the delay? It wasn’t anything that Daniel had done. It wasn’t anything God had done. Evil spiritual forces had interrupted the dispatch and caused the delay. Have you considered that spiritual forces are causing the delay in the manifestation of God’s promises in your life? The delay is meant to make you give up, to become hopeless, and to no longer expect that God’s promises will come to pass in your life.
The manifestation of a promise of God may be delayed but His Word tells us it is not denied (2 Corinthians 1:20). Share on XHow can you deal with this delay?
The best way is to continue to hold on to His promises by speaking them daily. Speak them with gratitude, as if they have already been granted to you. As you speak them, you build your faith (Romans 10:17). When you speak them, your mind stays focused on Jesus and His loving power instead of the turmoil of your circumstances. As you speak them, you’ll find it easier to let go of the problem and let God solve it.
It’s important to realize that God loves you. Then it’s easier to believe He has heard your prayer. And you’ll know that He wants His promises to manifest in your life. While you wait, it’s critical to trust in God’s faithfulness and to never give up on His promises.
While you wait, here are some additional scriptures to consider, speak, and believe.
You are loved: John 17:23b ESV – that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as You loved Me.
God doesn’t withhold His goodness: Psalm 84:11 HNV– For the LORD God is a sun and a shield. The LORD will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly.
You’ve been made blameless; infertility is not a punishment: 2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV– “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”
Trust Him: Jeremiah 17:7 NLT– “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.” Mark 11:22-23 NIV – “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.
God’s word is true and final: Psalm 119:89 NLT – Your eternal word, O Lord, stands firm in heaven. Matthew 24:35 NIV – Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
It’s a spiritual battle: Ephesians 6:12 NASB– “For 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”.
Where’s your focus while you wait—on your problem or on Jesus?
I met Camille virtually, through my blog, in July 2012. She was disheartened about her infertility and was searching for some answers. We exchanged a couple of emails during my attempt to encourage her to keep her hope alive. I shared her email in last week’s post.
Fast forward to July 2014: As I stated last week, I “happened” to come across her email while cleaning out a file (I LOVE IT WHEN GOD SETS THINGS UP!). I decided to check in with her to see how she was doing.
Here’s a part of her email. My prayer is that is gives you hope and inspires you to trust the promises and faithfulness of God. He is not only able, He is willing!
Hi Evangeline,
It is so nice to hear from you. God is good. I am happy to report to you that my husband and I have been highly blessed and favored. I am a few days away from being 38 weeks pregnant with a little boy due July 28th. Your book, A Seed of Hope, was so encouraging and truly advanced my faith that this would happen for us one day!
I have to say that my husband and I read your book and it was so encouraging. I would re-read certain passages over and over again when doubt and fear crept in. Back in November my husband and I decided to start the process for IVF. This was after trying 3 unsuccessful IUIs before I ever read your book. So we thought we would go for it and if it was God’s will, it would happen for us.
Here’s Camille’s back story:
One day I was talking with my best friend about my struggle with infertility. I have to mention that she and her husband had just given birth to my god-daughter through IVF and while I was extremely happy for her, I felt why was God not making it happen for me.
However, on this particular day of talking with my best friend, I was so down and depressed … I felt she could no longer relate because she had her baby. That’s another story.
I remember going to Wal-Mart to get some household supplies after getting off the phone with her and when I came out it was pouring down raining. With no umbrella and getting completely soaked and wet, I looked up to the sky and said to God, “Come on… are you serious?” I was so full of anger and depression.
However, when I got home, I had an email from you! Now I had never spoken to you and am sure that I had only posted on your blog just one time. This was a sign to me that the Lord hears us and he sends people our way (sometimes even strangers) to show us that he is still with us even when we think he is not. I have used this story as a testimony.
I really wanted to let you know how much you and your book have meant to our lives. You following up with me is another reminder of the importance of telling our story of God’s greatness and continued blessings.
Thank you and I love you!
Camille
Camille was so thoughtful– she sent me a set of her baby’s pictures. He’s adorable and such a cutie pie when he yawns. 🙂
I hope her story will serve to encourage you to continue to trust God’s love for you, stand on His promises by believing and speaking God’s Word into your life, and expect that they will produce His and your desired harvest in your life.
Need more encouragement? Decide now to pull away from the stress of infertility and renew your mind to the promises of God about your fertility.
Join me at my next iHope Fertility Retreat in November 2014!
Monday’s Marinade is provided to you as a means of “soaking yourself” in the hope-filled Word of God at the beginning of your week. Start your week by meditating on this Word about the power of the words you speak. Repeatedly think about it and quietly say it to yourself. Marinate and season your week with hope and a confident expectation of good things happening!
Focus on this scripture throughout the day. It’s God’s Word about His promises being firm and true for you in Jesus’ finished work on the cross. It’s what He desires us to believe. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth.
Use it as an affirmation. Speak this Word to yourself throughout the day. Personalize it by putting your name in it!
If you feel like giving up on God in your hope for improved fertility and having a child, read on…
Recently, I shared with you that a woman who has been reading my book, A Seed of Hope: God’s Promises of Fertility, had become pregnant.
Camille and I first communicated about 2 years ago because she’d found my blog and posted a comment. In addition to responding to her comment on the blog, I sent her a personal email reply a few weeks later. I got a response from her (back in July 2012) that she has given me permission to share:
Hello Evangeline,
I hope you are well.
It was meant for you to send me an email just when you did. God knows what we need and when we need it. I have been reading A Seed of Hope and it is very encouraging. However, I have not been in the Word (the Bible or A Seed of Hope) the last few weeks. Things have been rough for me emotionally. I’ve been having feelings of questioning God and my faith, then feeling guilty for that.
I have received the news of so many people announcing their pregnancy within recent weeks. I am happy for them, but it makes me sad that it hasn’t been my time. Then I feel guilty because although we have been dealing with infertility, I have so many reasons to be grateful: life with all my faculties, a wonderful, loving and supportive husband, family, and much more. So much more it is impossible for me to name them all.
I also feel guilty because I don’t want my relationship with the Lord being only based on Him making this happen for me or for it to be perceived that way. I also feel guilty at times because I have let this infertility issue consume so much of my mind and energy instead of focusing on the Word and goodness of God. I then get mad at myself because I know it’s the trick of the enemy but I still fall for it.
Thank you so much for checking in because just reading your email has given me encouragement. The fact that you emailed me this day, during this time, at one of my lowest emotionally, confirms to me that the Lord hears my cry and he knows what I need and when I need it. Thank you for listening to God’s Spirit leading you to email me. BTW, I have recommended the book to other friends who are going through similar situations.
Thank you,
–Camille
Two years later, in July 2014, I “happened” to come across her email while cleaning out a file (I LOVE IT WHEN GOD SETS THINGS UP!). I decided to check in with her to see how she was doing. When I received her reply, my chin dropped to the floor—she was almost 38 weeks pregnant! More important than anything else in her journey, Camille’s heart had become fertile ground for the seed of God’s Word she planted (Mark 4:14-20). It grew and flourished in her life as she made the spiritual aspect of the infertility a priority. It enabled her to increase her trust in God and expect a miracle from Him.
Next week, I’ll share a part of her most recent email to me. I know that it will give you hope and inspire you to trust the promises of God.
Monday’s Marinade is provided to you as a means of “soaking yourself” in the hope-filled Word of God at the beginning of your week.
Start your week by meditating on this Word about why you can have courage. Repeatedly think about it and quietly say it to yourself. Marinate and season your week with hope and a confident expectation of good things happening!
Monday’s Marinade is provided to you as a means of “soaking yourself” in the hope-filled Word of God at the beginning of your week.
Start your week by meditating on this Word about fear and anxiety. Repeatedly think about it and quietly say it to yourself. Marinate and season your week with hope and a confident expectation of good things happening!
It’s God’s Word about standing firm in your faith about His love for you. It’s what He desires us to believe. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth.
Use it as an affirmation. Speak this Word to yourself throughout the day. Personalize it by putting your name in it!
Earlier this year, I attended a retreat that I hoped would help me gain more focus in business-building activities and in personal matters. As an activity, we wrote on a smooth stone the one thing that would be our target for the remainder of the year. I wrote, “FINISH” on mine because I was finding that there were a number of things in my life I would start but didn’t finish.
A couple of months passed and as I thought more about how to finish the things that I start, I realized I also needed to target some other issues as well. Going through this thought process brought other “F-words” to mind. No, not the bad “F-words.” 🙂
I wrote the new F-words on stones and placed them on my desk as a tangible reminder of what I’m doing—FINISHING STRONG!
In June, I decided I’d put some energy behind one of these words each month for the remainder of 2014. Hopefully, as I do so, I’ll be building some good habits along the way. This month, I’ve been concentrating on Fellowship.
Fellowship= sharing; participating with another; constant companionship; communion
My desire is to fellowship more with friends and family, as well as, and most importantly, with Holy Spirit.
I became more intentional about spending time with my daughter while she’s home from college for the summer. I’ve been intentional about getting together with each of my sons, individually. Making sure that I schedule date nights with my hubby became a priority again. Phone calls to extended family members who live back East have become more frequent, just so I can say, “I’ve been thinking about you.”
How would I increase that time and experience more enjoyment out of it?
I made a decision to just do it. I started using my afternoon PIT Stop everyday to spend “extra” time with Him. I made a list of things I wanted to be sure to do with Him.
Just like I scheduled time with each of my children, with my husband, and, for the phone calls, I put God on my schedule. I made an appointment with myself so that I could not only talk to God and read the Bible, but to also hear from Him.
“My fellowship with God enables me to gain a victory over the evil one.” 1 John 2:14b (MSG)
Guess what happened! I began to feel less anxious about things in my life. I’m experiencing greater peace about the challenges I face because I know He’ll get me through them. I’ve begun to glean more wisdom from Him through His Word. Maybe the best thing is that I‘ve grown to really look forward to that time with Him because I’m excited about what He’s going to show me about His love for me! I protect this time from the distractions life throws at me.
Want to join me on this quest of filling each month with an “F-word?” You can. Just make a decision to do so (which means cutting off all other options and excuses). Then let me know you’ve joined the movement.
What are some of the things you do to fellowship with others and with God? Please share!
Next month’s keyword is FOCUS. I’ll be sharing my thoughts about that in August.