“I feel that I cannot communicate with my Aunt and Uncle (I stay with them by the way). I have been doing badly in school and my Aunt and Uncle called me hopeless while setting even higher expectations for my grades. My friends in school don’t treat me well either. I feel that life sucks. I know that I can turn to God but sometimes it seems that He isn’t there. What should I do?” – Struggling
dear Struggling,
Hearing the many battles you face all at one time breaks our heart. You are not hopeless, and in fact, there is much to hope for in life.
For me, when I feel like God is not near, a chorus of a song often pops into my head that reminds me to place my trust in God:
“God is too wise to be mistaken / God is too good to be unkind / So when you don’t understand / When you don’t see His plan / When you can’t trace His hand / Trust His heart” — From “Trust His Heart” by Babbie Mason
For your relationship with your Uncle and Auntie, it helps when we see the intention behind people’s actions. I’m sure they want the best for you, but maybe they don’t know how to express that concern in the best way. Don’t stop trying your best to communicate with them even if it is hard. Tell them your struggles and show them in your actions that you are trying. For your friends in school, do they know that you feel this way? Perhaps sharing with them how you feel might improve the relationship!
We want to encourage you to persevere in trusting God through these tough situations and for transformation to happen. Remember that you can call to Him at all times, as He is a friend who is close by!
“Why do Christians pray? Sometimes I feel that it is pointless to pray. If God already knows our thoughts and our hearts, why do we still need to pray?” – Seeking
dear Seeking,
You are right that God knows our thoughts and our hearts, yet that does not mean our prayers are redundant. Prayer is so much more than just presenting our requests to God. To me, prayer is so important because it changes us and teaches us to surrender to God. When we pray, we are willing ourselves to give our cares to Him, especially the ones that we can’t control, knowing that He is a sovereign and good God whom we can trust. We are choosing His will instead of ours. We are choosing to praise and thank Him instead of focusing only on ourselves.
Furthermore, prayer builds our relationship with God. When we share with God what is on our hearts, we are choosing to be vulnerable and honest before Him. Just as any growing relationship is a two-way road, part of praying also encompasses hearing from God. Don’t rob yourself of the joy of this sacred communion with God.
Finally, prayer is part of how God has chosen to be active in our world and in our lives. He hears us, and He responds. Prayer isn’t pointless — keep journeying with God in prayer!
