Praying for what is necessary

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith””more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire””may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1: 6-7.

In this passage it seems that Peter by the Spirit is saying it is necessary according to the will of God that His saints go through various trials of His choosing in order to prove and refine their faithfulness. Necessary trials that we rejoice in because it results in praise, glory and honor for Jesus. Assuming we desire that above all else should we not desire as our Father does, these necessary trials. In fact, isn't it safe to assume that our good Father only allows and plans those trials that are in fact "necessary" to this end of the praise of the glory of Jesus ?

If all this is true, am I a nut job to pray for necessary trials for myself? for others? I have talked to many distraught parents of prodigal children who have confessed they have prayed often for God to bring whatever is necessary into their adult children's lives so that they will turn back to God before it is too late. Why not the same praying for ourselves and believers. Praying whatever is necessary Lord for my Christlikeness and the glory and honor of Jesus.

I guess it all depends on how much we want what God wants and what His will is for us and for the glory of Jesus. Shouldn't we pray according to God's will. Jesus did. Not my will but thine.

Don't hear that much in today's trials. Don't hear that at many prayer meetings.

I hope people will not accuse me of false humility or that I naively find this an easy idea. I have been through many serious trials and sufferings before. Praise Jesus.

Brother, it has been my experience that trials will come. We do not have to pray for them. We praise God in every trial knowing that it is our faith that is being tried, and our faith will grow stronger , and God will bring us through the trial. The trying of our faith works patience (endurance).

Thanks for sharing brother!

When I was younger I would pray constantly for our Father to break me. Now I come to His throne room boldly through Christ sacrifice and I just " present myself as a living sacrifice to Him each day which is my spiritual act of worship.” For me this is acknowledging His complete control over my whole life in whatever He seems fit concerning me.

Then " rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thess 5:16-18 God is really using this daily with me now! Giving thanks for everything as it happens seemingly good or otherwise is creating an inward change which brings true joy through Christ that I haven’t the words to express rightly.

"Shouldn’t we pray according to Gods’ will?” Amen!

Lately when I pray for brethren I’m praying for what Father sees the brethren need prayer concerning. At this time it allows me to pray in our Fathers’ will for our brethren. Prayer is experiential to me as the depths of communion with our Father we can reach are beyond expression.

As I have been seeking more depth in prayer my wife added to the scriptural prayers I have starting last night.

Praying for those who persecute my brethren in Christ around the world, then praying for our persecuted brethren around the world, adding this two the three scriptural commands we are to pray.

Psalm 119:71
It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

Affliction can come as a result of our attachments to the world, as well as from our detachments and the resistance to which it is met.

Our prayer in both cases is one of thanksgiving for He is there with us in the midst of the fire where unnecessary things are burned away and necessary things are refined 🙏🏻

What Mike said.

Thanks Guys. Why shouldn't we pray for trials?

I think we can agree that God uses trials, even intends them, for our good. Scripturally, one of our greatest goods is Christ likeness. We know that trials increase Christ likeness and in fact many aspects of Christ likeness absolutely cannot be achieved apart from trials.

I'm not a pain or martyrdom lover. I'm a Christ lover and being sanctified and glorified into His likeness is my Father's will and trials are a significant part of His way. Trials without purpose are not good. Trials with purpose are what I'm referring to. God does not allow a trial without purpose. His will is glorification of me. His way includes necessary trials. I want His will for a lot of supreme reasons. I need His trials. I therefore can't say I don't want His necessary trials.

Back to my question. If one doesn't think we should pray for trials, is there a Biblical reason not to pray for "necessary" trials ? Jesus set his face resolutely for all His trials. In fact, He volunteered for them and pursued them like flint. The devil tried to tempt him out of his trials on two very well known occasions. And Jesus ultimately embraced and prayed for the trials by praying for His Father's will to be done which absolutely and undeniably was a conscious prayer embracing the coming trials.

Jesus took Paul aside before the start of his ministry and showed him how much he must suffer for Jesus' sake. Paul embraced the cost. In fact, when others tried to convince him to avoid a coming trial in Jerusalem, he shook the naysayers off. He was ready to go. Embraced it because he knew the who and the why behind it.

At the end of the day, we are either convinced that God ordains every single trial that comes into our life and has determined it, that they are necessary. He's a good Father and He is in control. Or He isn't and He allows and even intends trials only for our harm. Lest I be misunderstood, Satan intended the trials of Jesus for harm. God intended it for good.

Amen!
"I think we can agree that God uses trials, even intends them, for our good. Scripturally, one of our greatest goods is Christ likeness. We know that trials increase Christ likeness and in fact many aspects of Christ likeness absolutely cannot be achieved apart from trials.”

The Apostle Paul had many trials, temptations, and persecution. He wasn’t praying for them. Anyone who has made a full surrender to Jesus Christ, is filled with the Spirit, and is advancing the Kingdom of God will become a target for the enemy, and will go through many trials.

Trials can be used by God to make us more like Christ if we respond to them in the right way. Some trials are the chastisement of the Lord, and benefit us if there is true repentance.

Mike, how do you know Paul didn't pray for them ? Is there an actual reason not to pray for trials other than personal preference ? Is it sinful? Is it morbid? Is it contrary to God's will for us ?

In reverse, the Scripture does say that we should pray according to God's will. If a prophet were to prophesy in a gathering that the Lord has determined that a trial is to come in order to chasten His people, we could very reasonably pray three things. First, we would repent of the thing that the Lord had a problem with. Then, we would pray that "this cup" might pass. But then, in order to be Christ like, we would say.....Father, if it is necessary, then your will be done." I think you would agree with that.

Accordingly, my prayer might be ..... "Father, I want your burden for me to become like Jesus to become my burden. I want whatever is necessary to make that happen, Whatever "way" of transformation is necessary, including any necessary trials because I would rather have a necessary trial and be like Jesus than to avoid it and not have that." How could someone object to that? Not embrace that ? Not saying this about you, but it seems that when push comes to shove, most prefer their own comforts to Christ likeness, in balance.

(Edit)... I was reminded of John's request to sit at Christ's right hand and his agreement to drink the same cup Jesus had to drink in order for that to happen. Was that an improper motive and request and an inappropriate agreement to embrace the same cup to make his request come true?

Can you find a scripture where someone actually prays for trials to come their way?

Jesus prayed "lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” Certainly temptations can be a very real trial in certain circumstances.

There is no doubt Paul went through many hardships. But where did he pray for them? In fact he prayed for release from his thorn in the flesh which God did not see fit to grant.

I think Mike is on the right track. Jesus said a believer WILL face tribulation. But never once does he say to pray that they come.

They will come of their own accord. The devil will see to that.

Todd, I think we come from two different points of view. In the past, you have objected that God does not plan harm to his children. I agree that he does not intend harm but he does plan it. I know you disagree with that so let's just agree to disagree about that.

As to people praying for it, you still haven't answered the question of why it's not right to pray for that.

I gave the example of John's request to Jesus. I gave the example of Jesus' prayer for his own upcoming trial.

I'm sure you have prayed the prayer that God would make you more like Jesus and you know that is a prayer implicitly that God would use the means that are necessary to accomplish that. In fact, then, you have prayed implicitly already for something that I think we can therefore pray explicitly for.

If Christ likeness and the Father's will are higher values to me than life on earth itself, then this kind of praying unto whatever is necessary recognizes that God for His own reasons has determined that trials are necessary for Christ likeness and His glory. As a matter of principle, you may disagree with the premise that trials are necessary, may come through Satan, but nonetheless are predetermined by God our Father. If you do so disagree then I see your point entirely. If however, the truth is that God does determine in His ultimate wisdom that trials are necessary and are His will, then we should embrace, give thanks for, rejoice in and even pray for them. It depends on what side of that fence you are on. I'm just advocating that if you are on my side of that fence, then praying for necessary trials makes good sense if we are already praying for Christ likeness, this because the two go together implicitly anyway, at least on my side of that fence.

(Edit). Sorry. Just thought of another example. Paul said that he considered the loss of all things by his own voluntary walking away from them as nothing compared to the surpassing value of knowing Jesus and joining in the fellowship of His sufferings. Hebrews 11 says Moses walked away from Pharaohs court and considered the reproach of Christ far greater reward. Of course it doesn't say he prayed for it. He actually did more, he willingly and voluntarily walked away having considered comfort and reproach and chosen the latter with his life. Finally, everytime you or I do what Romans 12:1 says and we in prayer to God "offer up ourselves as a living sacrifice" to God, we are by definition praying our lives into trials, loss and sufferings and God calls that "reasonable". Romans 12:1 is an instruction to prayer to become a sacrifice.
I think I've thoroughly convinced myself now of the answer to my question. Perhaps not as persuasively to anyone else thogh.

It is similar to a question I've been pondering lately, too, oddly enough. Not exactly "should I ask for trials?", but "should I ask for" some other seeming necessities?

Boy, you think you've got things figured out until you learn the hard way that you don't. :)

Jesus' simple prayer says "Your will be done". If He wills trials, that includes trials. If He wills any other "good and perfect gift", that's included. I'm leaning these days to simple. I've outsmarted myself through prayer. Overthought it. Agonized and wore myself out with it. So, through several avenues, I'm starting to finally get this much: God doesn't need me to help Him with my prayers, and I do need Him to help me pray aright. I'm stripping down and asking fewer specifics. Maybe this is "a season" as they say -- I don't know. What I do know is I don't know much and He knows it all.

I've inadvertently walked into trials that I "prayed for" by asking for things I thought were solutions and weren't. I want exactly Jesus + Zero number of prescribed trials --- that goes for everything else.

Robert wrote:

/:In fact, then, you have prayed implicitly already for something that I think we can therefore pray explicitly for.//

You are correct about that. But if I know (and God knows) that my prayer to become more Christlike means I am willing to take my medicine to get there, why do I need to explicitly pray for a trial or persecution? Won’t He send what He thinks I need?

What if God does not think a trial is what is needed at this time? Maybe what is needed is a greater revelation of God’s love, or a deeper repentance, or a greater love for my neighbor?

In other words, when praying to be made more like Jesus, why not just leave the "how” to God? After all, He is the only one who truly knows what is needed.

It isn’t commanded. My question is why wouldn’t we? The sincere answer for some can’t be because it is superfluous. That isn’t why we don’t. I think many people are slower to Christ likeness because they resist the cost. They aren’t impassioned to Christ likeness because they implicitly know the cost of it. Thus avoiding trials is more important than the outcome of those trials. The issue isn’t the propriety of praying for trials but rather the consideration of a cost/benefit analysis. Some will pay the cost of Christ but only if they are forced to rather than as a voluntary submission to it or even volunteering actively for it. Thus, offering ourselves as a living sacrifice becomes mere words that
actually don’t accurately reflect the stronger counter desire truly present in the heart.

...and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil...

Have anyone of you experienced what it is like to be in extreme persecution, dread, pain, distress, or mental troubles. Do you know what it is like to be stoned, whipped, or tortured?

Was it a joke when the apostle Paul was in extreme body sore after enduring intense physical violence.

Matt 26:39

And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

what do we pray when we remember our brothers who are now suffering persecution.

Passerby I pray for what our Father sees they need prayer concerning first. Then I’m praying for encouragement to come to them through the Holy Spirit.

Brother Passerby.

Not joking about the topic at all. Preparing God’s people for trial, sacrifice and suffering in advance of experiencing such things, including having the right understanding about and prayer life towards them, is what a majority of Jesus’s counsel and the apostles’ teaching was all about. Being ready for it before it happens is a big part of enduring it well when it happens. That’s the purpose of my post. As for my attitude about our brothers and sisters in the midst of these things, I actually live in such a place and minister to, weep with and pray with them face to face all the time.

Pardon me for being passionate in my post. When you are in those situations, it is as if the time ticks so slowly. It is very difficult when you are awake yet it is also difficult to sleep.

Then you may remember the songs you have learned from so long ago and with a faint strength hum them, whisper them over and over again:

...Be thou exalted
O God above the heavens
Let thy glory be above all the earth...

...I sing praises to your name O most High
I sing praises to your name O Holy One
For though art Holy and worthy to receive
praises, praises to thy name...

... You are my hiding place, you always fill my heart
with songs of deliverance whenever I am afraid
I will trust in you...

I am thankful for somebody like you who remember others in prayer and giving actual help or resources, as life can be so difficult at times.

I sing praises...link, an old song, if you can remember, but I think it was in a slower beat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4oLHL4KCQ0

I cannot find the tune of Psalms 57:5 that I use to know but
here is an audio of Psalms 57:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxYXyLWk_9E

It has been a big comfort to remember hymns in times of troubles.

If I wanted to be a world class athlete and went to the best physical/dietary trainer for guidance, I would not show up with a list of the exercises I want to do and the food I want to eat. What I would say is "I am willing to do the physical training you tell me to do, regardless of how it racks my body, and I am willing to eat the diet you recommend, regardless of how much I may want a cinnamon bun.

I am not asking for the pain, but I am willing to endure what comes to reach my goal.

Todd, I appreciate the analogy but the Lord commanded us and invited to pray according to HIS Will. Further, if in wisdom through His Word, we know our need ( that is "what is necessary") then we would rightly pray for that need to be met. We know we need trials in order to be like Christ. That seems clear to me.

Those that serve the Lord with all of theirs hearts will go through many trials, but God will give them the grace in the trials and will deliver them.

God’s will for His children is that they would be blessed:
Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.
(3 John 1:2).

God has called us to be overcomers.

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have itabundantly.” (John 10:10)

The children of Israel walked in the blessing of God as long as they served the Lord. When they rebelled, then they were given over to the hand of the enemy until they repented.

As the children of God we must be able to discern the difference between a trial, chastisement, and the attacks of the powers of darkness. We are to rejoice in our trials, repent when we are disciplined by the Lord, and resist the devil when we He comes to kill, steal, and destroy.

It's too unfamiliar and superfluous to me, I won't dare myself or advise others to do it. But you have your own reasons to think the other way and I guess you have stated them clearly.

Men willing to pray for extreme results that are Christlike both in spirit and in word.

Exodus 32:31-32

So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. But now, if you will forgive their sin””but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.”

Romans 9:1-3

I am speaking the truth in Christ””I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit- that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish (literally and more accurately "I pray for”) that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

We do not have this level of love, I agree. However, the notion that one might be in favor of, if necessary, and pray for, far lesser trials for ourselves for the sake of others or our own Christlikeness is not as strange or far fetched as a first blush consideration might suggest. How much like Moses and Paul are we willing to imitate as they imitated Jesus our Lord?

It is a good point that the OP is making. I have not read any responses so far. But here is my view.

When I am asked to pray for those who are going through health issues or job loss, I pray that God's will be done in their life. My prayer is always, the purpose for which God has allowed this trail in their life should be fulfilled.

It is same in my life as well. God definitely wants us to have a good job and a healthy life. But he allows us to go through Job loss or sickness so that he can accomplish something in our life. Our goal is to pray that his purpose be accomplished through our trails. Our goal should not be that we or our brothers should somehow escape the trails.

Jesus himself taught us to pray that we should be kept from trails and temptations. So we should not pray for trails and temptations but when we go through one, our goal should be to have God's will be done through that trail.

I have tried to reconcile the prayer not to be led "into temptation" with the fact that God in fact intentionally leads His people into situations to be tested ( which often includes temptation by the evil one). Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness explicitly to be tempted by Satan and therefrom, tested by God. God does not tempt but he does test and both are happening in each temptation of the evil one. So, the conundrum. Perhaps, the solution is to read the language of the prayer more deeply, that is, we are praying that we will "not be lead INTO temptation" that is to fall for or into the temptation. Like Jesus told the apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane that they should pray that they not "enter into temptation" which to me sounds far different and more than simply telling me to pray that God prohibit me from being exposed to a temptation by the evil one at all. The prayer then is a prayer for victory over temptation and not one for keeping it out of my life all together.

I agree with Mike’s posts.

Trials were not prayed for:

1 Pet. 4:12-13 ”“
Beloved, DO NOT BE SURPRISED at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.

When trials come, we are blessed when we persevere under trials:

James 1:12 ”“
Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

James 5:11 ”“
Behold, we count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

We can persevere because we know that God is with us and His love never fails.

Heb. 13:5-6 ”“
For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Isa. 43:2-3 ”“
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

Rom. 8:35-39 ”“
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or trouble, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ……………But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We persevere by trusting in the Lord, hoping in the Lord, and, waiting for the Lord.

Ps. 33:20-22 ”“
Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You.

Ps. 130:5-6 ”“
I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait,
And in His word do I hope.
My soul waits for the Lord
More than the watchmen for the morning;
Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.

Deut. 33:27 --
The eternal God is your refuge,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
He will thrust out the enemy from before you,
And will say, ‘Destroy!’

"In Thy strong hand I lay me down……”

Hi Robert,

If all this is true, am I a nut job to pray for necessary trials for myself? for others?

I guess you can pray whatever you want for yourself.

But, for others?

This scripture comes to my mind:

Num. 31:23 ”“
everything that can stand the fire, you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean, but it shall be purified with water for impurity. But whatever cannot stand the fire you shall pass through the water.

I must say that I do not fully understand the meaning of this scripture. And, because I do not fully understand it, I am reminded of just how very little I understand, and, how unsearchable are God’s judgements and how unfathomable are His ways. Who can know the mind of the Lord? Who can be His counsellor? (Rom.11:33-36).

If a blind man guides a blind man will they not both fall into a pit (Luke 6:39)?

Isa. 55:8-9 --
For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

The Good Shepherd Himself will lead us in His higher way.

Isa.42:16 (NKJV) ”“
I will bring the blind by a way they did not know;
I will lead them in paths they have not known.
I will make darkness light before them,
And crooked places straight.
These things I will do for them,
And not forsake them.

We can pray for what is necessary as Paul prayed:

Eph. 1: 15-23 ”“
For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Eph. 3:14-19 ”“
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

It is wise to let God have absolute sovereignty over all things.

Ps. 37:5 ”“
Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday.

Eph. 3:20-21 ”“
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

"His truth, not mine, the resting place;
His love, not mine, the tie."

"Enough that God my Father knows --
Nothing this faith can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice with Him."

Blessings

Brothers and Sisters,

There is no prohibition in the Scripture for praying for whatever the cost is to be paid in order to glorify Jesus, spread the Gospel, become like Jesus, bring salvation to the world.

The point of my post was to point out what is going on in the heart.

We will pay the price, theoretically, of spreading the Gospel, sanctification, or bringing glory to God. Usually, what this means in many is that they will pay the price if it is forced upon them by God. The idea of volunteering to go to the dangerous place, to enthusiastically ask for sanctification no matter what it cost, to ask for whatever is necessary to be paid, even with our life, has become a little too foreign to Christian preference, sensibility or worse yet, our notion of God.

I don't say this as an accusation of any posters on this thread. My hope was to disrupt the status quo. To bring introspection and challenge set theories and traditions.

Contrary to what has been said, there is no prohibition in Scripture nor is there a teaching that would go against my original proposition. The fact is that we are to rejoice in, be grateful for and even consider it a gift from God to suffer for His Name and cause. This is not customary thinking in Christian minds anymore.

The truth is there are many of normal "faith" as defined in Hebrews 11 that thought what I suggested. They did not consider their lives of any value in this world. They willingly offered up all to Christ for His use no matter what that meant and considered it not cost, but privilege. I know you have read Foxes Book of Martyrs. The spirit of the great cloud of witnesses would wholeheartedly agree with my post but please don't think I say that in boasting or casually. Counting the cost has been a real world real life exercise in my life. I'm sure yours as well. Just trying to remind everyone that He is worthy as we enter into costly times.

We will pay the price, theoretically, of spreading the Gospel, sanctification, or bringing glory to God. Usually, what this means in many is that they will pay the price if it is forced upon them by God. The idea of volunteering to go to the dangerous place, to enthusiastically ask for sanctification no matter what it cost, to ask for whatever is necessary to be paid, even with our life, has become a little too foreign to Christian preference, sensibility or worse yet, our notion of God.

I agree with the spirit of your post. Praying for trails in our life is taking it a bit too much. Jesus himself prayed that the cup to be taken away from him. But he also yielded that to God's will. Apostle Paul prayed for the thorn in his flesh (2Cor12:6) to be taken away 3 times, but once God revealed that the thorn was necessary to keep Paul humble then he accepted it. Same way Jesus accepted the cup as it was eventually his father's will.

Paul said that he learnt to be content in both abundance and in poverty. Which means Paul did not force himself to poverty, when there was abundance he did not run away from it. Instead he was content when the abundance was taken away from him.

There needs to be a balance in our Christian theology, jumping to extremes is not good. The balance appears to pray for comfort yet yield completely to God's will to bring trails. Going to one extreme of always expecting comfort or the other extreme of praying for trails are both equally wrong. I do not see Jesus or Apostle Paul (the 2 men who called Christians to follow them) falling to either of these extremes.

Thank you Brother Robert for your post.

We don’t pray for trials, we take up the cross.

"Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

The Cost Of Discipleship:

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26-33).

Do we want the cross? Yes. Do we therefore want the trials that are inherent and indivisible from the cross? of course the answer is the same. Do we ask for the cross? I guess some would make a distinction there. I think it is a distinction without a difference.

I did not pray for two hurricanes to hit our city and displace us from our home for six months, and we are still not in our home. Neither did I pray for testing positive with Covid 19. But what I did pray for is that according to the Word of the Lord, that He would supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory, and my testimony is that God is faithful, and the Lord is bringing us through these trials with great joy.