Introduction
Why do we, as Christians, seek God?
Is it for peace? For healing? For refuge from the storms of life? Often, yes. We long for comfort, for safety, for the “smooth roads.” And while these desires seem noble, they can easily become self-centered detours. They feel spiritual—but they orbit around self, not God.
Let’s be honest: much of our so-called pursuit of God is a pursuit of relief. We want the benefits of His presence without surrendering our will. But here’s the hard truth—peace, healing, and safety are not the cause of Christ in our lives. They are the effect of dying to self and living unto Him.
And that’s the real battleground—self. The greatest obstacle in my life, and perhaps yours too, isn’t the world out there; it’s the world within. My self—my comfort, my plans, my preferences—constantly fight against the Spirit of Christ. Every time I put myself at the center, I take a step away from God.
I’ve seen parents raise their children in carefully protected environments, shielding them from every shadow of the world’s corruption. Their motives are loving—but if we raise children to be untouched rather than prepared, we do them no favors. Eventually, they will face the world. And they’ll need more than shelter—they’ll need Christ formed in them. And how is Christ formed within us? – Through the trials and tribulations we face every day.
We all long to withdraw from the chaos of the world. And yes, my wife and I do earnestly long for heaven, with all its rest and reward. But until that day, we are not called to retreat or retire. We are called to go. The command has not changed: “Go and tell My brethren…” (Matthew 28:10)
He didn’t save us to shelter us. He saved us to send us.
We read the scripture in Isaiah, which says:
“..but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 ESV.
We dwell and enjoy the part that says, “…mount up with wings like eagles”, and fail to understand “… but they who wait…” Waiting is the cause. Mounting up with wings like eagles is the effect.
Putting First Things First: The True Heart of Prayer
Why do we pray for others?
The answer may seem obvious: we pray for healing, deliverance, salvation, restoration of families, protection from enemies, and national revival. These are all good, heartfelt requests—and most of the prayer requests I receive fall into these categories, especially for healing, which includes deliverance from addiction.
But here is the sobering truth: these are the effects of that which we pray for. Yet we often overlook the cause—and that cause is always rooted in our relationship with God. Many afflictions that drive us to prayer may not be random attacks or accidents; they may be a direct result of our actions. They may be divinely permitted, even divinely appointed, to bring a soul into deeper fellowship with Him.
God is not indifferent to suffering. But His purposes run deeper than comfort or cure. Before we intercede, we must pause and ask: “God, what are You doing in this person’s life? What is your purpose in this affliction”? Without this discernment, our prayers can become misdirected attempts to short-circuit the work of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer is not casual. It is sacred labor. Yet too often, it is treated like a vending machine or a scattershot weapon—shotgun prayers, quick-draw prayers, rushed words with no waiting on God. When someone asks me to pray, I feel a holy weight. I want to withdraw into His presence and listen—not react, but respond. I need to hear the Echo of His heart before I speak mine. Yes, God may sometimes answer immediately. But more often, I must return, wait, press in, and labor in the Spirit until I know I’ve prayed His will, not just mine, because I feel sorry for someone. Feeling sorry for someone is not God’s will.
Here’s an uncomfortable reality: we don’t talk about unanswered prayers. We brush them off with vague replies—“God said no,” “Maybe we didn’t pray correctly,” or “I don’t know.” But many of us have experienced hundreds of unanswered prayers for every one that gets a clear “yes.” And that should humble us. The Word of God is always true, but the Word of God spoken without His Spirit is meaningless. His Words will have no effect without the cause which comes through our relationship with Him and hearing His will. I have spoken of it often; it is from the Word and the Will that we receive power. (Click here for Blog)
Have you ever had God speak to you from His Word, which is completely out of context? The words of the Bible just jump out at you. They are meant just for you. It’s often called the Rhema of God. It is the Word and His Will in action.
Many of the things we seek are the effect of our relationship, but we make them the cause.
I believe we must stop pretending we have prayer mastered. We don’t. I certainly don’t. And I doubt many do. Even the disciples—who walked with Jesus—had to ask, “Lord, teach us to pray.” They understood that real prayer wasn’t just words—it was power born from intimacy with the Father.
We must recover the seriousness of prayer, the diligence of seeking, the hunger to press in. Jesus didn’t say, “Ask once and move on.” He said, “Ask, seek, knock”— and keep on doing so until the door opens.
We give up too quickly. We settle too easily. We pray too lightly.
Let us return to the deep well of prayer. If we just seek the outcome, it may not happen. Make prayer seeking His Will for the effect He desires. —Not for the outcome we desire.
More on Cause and Effect
We are all aware of the Law of Cause and Effect. It simply means that for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. But does this law exist in the Spirit world? Some say the laws of the Spirit world are not the same as those in the physical world. I tend to believe this, but when you look at scriptures such as those regarding sowing and reaping, you may tend to believe otherwise. When you look at Jesus walking on water and the angels flying, you may think the laws of gravity do not apply.
Material effects without adequate causes do not exist. There are no exceptions in our natural laws. Basically, natural laws say that nothing came from nothing. This is great! However, scientists are saying, per the law of cause and effect, that the Universe came from something. For us, that something is God.
Note that the cause always exists before the effect. The universe did not create itself. The cause was God, but what caused God? It seems that the material world was created by a non-material cause – God. The universe is here because, “… in beginning… God.” Here is where the natural law of cause and effect differs.
Harmony
Harmony is the evidence of divine order—the natural result of the laws of cause and effect working in sync. True harmony occurs when circumstances, relationships, and actions align to produce a good and pleasing outcome. As Scripture affirms,
“All things work together for good to those who love God…” (Romans 8:28).
But when harmony is absent, something is clearly out of sync. The cause of that disruption often lies within. Much of the disharmony we face can be corrected—not by fixing others, but by making internal adjustments: forgiving when we’d rather hold on, forgetting when we’re tempted to relive pain, obeying when rebellion feels easier.
Refusing to do these things leads to bitterness, resentment, and misery. We become the very source of our unrest. And worse still, our refusal to align with God’s way invites separation from Him—disharmony with Heaven itself.
We cannot blame others for the state of our hearts. Our feelings, our choices—they are ours to master. It is not our place to enforce judgment or remind God of what is due. That’s His role. Ours is to release it to Him and walk in peace.
When we resist, we become the cause of the effect. The consequence is that we sabotage our harmony.
Let go. Align. Be restored.
Summary
Cause and effect are seen in the weight of our actions, which hang in the balance, waiting to be acknowledged and owned. Yet, we often choose to evade responsibility, blaming others for the consequences of our choices. The truth is, every decision has an outcome (cause and effect), and every action leaves a mark that can never be erased.
We are faced with two paths: one of reckoning, where we confront the good, bad, and ugly within ourselves; or one of denial, where we try to outrun the inevitable consequences of our choices. But make no mistake, the day of reckoning will come, and when it does, there will be no turning back.
This is what the Bible calls Sanctification – not a gentle refinement, but a radical transformation that cuts away the old and establishes the new. It’s a process of confronting the darkness within ourselves, with all its attendant pain and shame, and emerging transformed on the other side. It is death to self. Death if final. There is no reconciling, saying I’m sorry or saying I love you. It is an absolute that cannot be changed. There is no going back.
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. Romans 6:1-23 ESV
Don’t be fooled by the reprieve of denial or the fleeting comfort of self-justification. The consequences of our choices will always catch up to us, either in this life or the next. So let’s choose the path of reckoning now, while we still have the chance to change and become who God created us to be.
This is not an easy journey, but it leads to true freedom – the freedom from the weight of our sin and shame, and the freedom to walk in the light of His love.
Conclusion
Stop making the effect the cause. This is an opportunity to exhibit the Son of God in your life. Don’t miss out. We know that it is not natural to obey. But we must obey God, even when it hurts. This type of obedience recognizes that God is the higher authority. Isaiah says, “Woe is me” if, after seeing Him I do not obey. He will never insist, and His grace remains, but after receiving Him, we must obey.
“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” John 3:19-21
Enough Said
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16 ESV
