God Cares About Our Struggles by guest BF contributor - Matthew Guillot

I was very encouraged this last Saturday night when Blazing Fire hosted Dr. Susan Richards. There was healing and deliverance happening all over the place. So many people were set free of their ailments and afflictions. My wife and I had the privilege of seeing three people with deaf ears open, countless headaches gone, knees healed, spines straightened, and pain gone just to name a few. Someone in the prayer line even saw a growth literally shrink and disappear. Praise Jesus!!! It is always encouraging to be in a place where God is clearly moving and showing Himself. But what about the people who didn’t get healed? This question used to send me into a tailspin where there was no recovery. One of the most difficult things I have had to tackle within my heart is when I have legitimate pain, and it seems like God isn’t answering my prayers. Sometimes this pain is physical and sometimes it’s in my heart. What am I supposed to do with seemingly unanswered prayers? Is God even paying attention? We all know in our minds the right answer is “yes” but our hearts may not always be aligned with our mind. Here are some things I have learned along the way…  When we are in pain, the enemy sometimes comes to lie to you and give you ways to cope with your pain. Often his strategy is to get your heart and mind to be offended at God or even to a place of accusation towards God. It is a position of pride, that if we were all really honest with ourselves, we have all been at, at one time or another. The enemy wants to get us to “defend” our position of offense with pride (overt pride/self-pity). 1 Peter 5:5-7 (NKJV)(emphasis mine) 5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”  6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. We can see in the scriptures that God does care for us. In fact we should cast all our cares upon Him. In the very next verse 1 Peter 5:8, Peter warns about our adversary prowling around and “seeking someone to devour.” The enemy wants us in pride so we willingly participate in blocking God from blessing us and healing us. The scripture says that God gives Grace to the humble and that He opposes the proud. Has God stopped loving me if I fall into pride? Certainly not! (Rom 8:38). We are His children (Jhn 1:12), and He will never stop loving us. He just won’t endorse the pride we have chosen to embrace to cope with our pain. When we act out of that pride, it is not something the Holy Spirit can work with. So what is something Holy Spirit can work with? Humility is a key to breakthrough  What is humility? It is an attitude of the heart or a state of being that is free from pride, having a confidence in God’s Goodness and Love that removes the need to defend oneself and exalt one’s own opinion or way over another’s. When we choose to cloth ourselves in humility, we position ourselves to receive the healing and blessing that God has for us. It is not a coincidence that the apostle Peter attached “casting all of our care upon Him, for He cares for you” to the end of the verse that says to “humble yourself.” Peter knew that much of the time when someone is in pride, it is because they feel their needs are not being met. Peter had a purpose to reassure us that God does care for us, and does know about our struggles. God does care, and your breakthrough is coming! How can I know this so confidently? It is who He is. He is a good Father (Mat 7:7-11). If you have asked, He already has your breakthrough planned (Jer 29:11). Humility is one of the keys to breakthrough and encountering God’s Grace and Love. When we are in pride, our hearts are hardened towards God, but in humility our hearts are ready and expectant of His Gracious Love. I encourage all of you to cloth yourselves in humility, and I pray that God showers you with His Love, Healing, and Blessings. By His Grace & Love,                           Matthew Guillot                           (My name is Karis, and I approve my husband’s message. :)