Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32 (NKJV)

From time to time, we all have situations come up that take us by surprise. Maybe it’s an unexpected bill, the loss of a job, or a medical diagnosis that no one saw coming. It might be any number of things that the enemy brings to try to knock us out of the race. What are we supposed to do when something comes along and does it’s best to take the wind out of our sails?

First, we have to find rest in the Lord. No matter how shocking the news or the situation, we have to first find rest and peace in the presence of God. We have to go to Him and get that inner calm that comes from His presence. If we allow ourselves to be ruled by emotion, we will make wrong decisions. Without the rest of God, we will easily veer off-course and quite possibly make the situation worse. Go to Him. Pray and meditate on His Word and spend time worshiping Him. Allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you to bring peace to your heart. When we look at God more than the problem, we can more easily see that He is bigger than the concern at hand.

Once we have entered the rest of God, we can relax, knowing that God is taking care of the situation that we’ve brought before Him. The enemy may try to bring thoughts of fear to make us worry, but we must remain in a state of relaxed faith, trusting God for the outcome we want. If we’ve given the issue to the Lord, we must make sure not to take it back from Him by carrying worry. Once we’ve cast our care, we must relax and let God carry it. It may take time for the answer to manifest, but we can remain relaxed and assured of victory by continuing to spend time with God.

Finally, as we enter the rest of God and then remain relaxed in His care, we will receive the manifestation of what we’re believing for. Refusing to let the enemy take over our emotions and staying focused on the Lord will bring the fulfillment of our prayer requests. Rest, relax, and then receive. God is faithful to work on our behalf when we release our problems to Him and refuse to worry.