I'm not sure and that scares me, but I'm believing anyway.

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." -Mark 11:24

Many a time I've read this verse and found myself disappointed. I've done it so many times. So many times. Most of the time, as far as I can recall, I've felt dejected. It's enough to make one give up. It's enough to stop trusting God for anything.

With so many occasions of heart break, you'd think I'd be advising against giving any credence to Mark 11:24 and tell you that it doesn't work. You're going to be disappointed. I'm going to tell you that it does work. Not only that, but I'm going to tell you to believe in it. 

We express our faith everyday. We have faith that we are good people. We have faith that God exists. We have faith that the sun will rise tomorrow. Why? Because there are people and events that support these things. Likewise, we have support of God's word.

Have you accepted Christ's gift of sacrifice and salvation? I have. That is the single most greatest promise Jesus has made to man and He followed through on it. What does my prayer request compare to that? My wants, meaningful or not, are absolutely nothing when put against the saving of my soul. Do I have a legitimate reason to doubt His promises?

Consider the amazing things that occur throughout the history covered within the Bible. A shepherd becomes a great king. A doubtful, yet faithful man is chosen to lead 300 men in battle against an army of at least 135,000 and manages to scare them off by playing trumpets. A Roman dedicated to exterminating Christians suddenly pulls a complete 180° and becomes one of their most devout followers. A group of blue-collar workers choose to follow Jesus, turn tail and run at the first sign of trouble, and then, inexplicably, become willing to die for Christ's teachings and spread the word across countries and continents and are the very reason I'm typing this blog right now.

I'll go ahead and tell you my request, my number one desire that I want more than anything in my life. I'd like to be married. I want to spend my life with someone who loves me and whom I can devote myself to. I even have a particular date in mind to be married (not telling). Thing is, I don't have a lot going for myself. I'm socially inept, financially dependent, and not particularly attractive. I SHOULD BE JUMPING FOR JOY!
Think about it! I'm more-or-less a person on the fringe. Not particularly wanted or unremarkable, which is exactly the type of person that God uses and blesses with great things!

I'm grateful for being all these things. I don't want to be attractive or confident because I'm left with nothing but my Christ to depend on. Do I get discouraged? Yes. Do things look nothing like I wish they were at this very moment? Absolutely. I feel overwhelmed and can't help but break down and cry sometimes, but I'm believing anyway. GOD IS BIGGER THAN YOUR PRAYERS. He has a talent for taking a sad song and making it better. It's the 180° effect. People change and circumstances change. I'm looking forward to being one of those stories that prove it. :)

-L. Travis Hoffman

11/22/2014

Side note: Feel free to help me with my prayer requests by sending prayers of your own.