Wait...What?

Have you ever prayed fervently for something and then the opposite happened? Usually, the most fervent prayers stem from our deepest emotions. We pray for things like the healing of a loved one or the return of a wayward child. When these kinds of passionate prayers are seemingly met with silence it can be one of the most faith-shaking circumstances. Habakkuk’s interaction with God carries similar confusion and frustration. His passionate prayer is for justice. He wants God to deal with all the violence and injustice in Israel. God promises to do so by using a more violent and evil nation than Israel is. So what can we learn from this frustrated prophet’s interaction with God? Well, we learn that it is okay to bring our frustrations to God. We also learn persistence. Habakkuk’s posture in prayer is that of persistence and openness. He is committed to actively listening for an answer to his questions. Is there an area of your life that you have stopped praying about? Maybe you don’t feel as though God has been paying attention, so you simply stopped crying out to him. Be like Habakkuk, “stand watch.”