 Sometimes, God has to break you before He can bless you. Never underestimate God's ability to make use of a desperate situation. The Scripture is filled with examples of people who sought God in the midst of trying times. Sometimes life will present challenges to you that are beyond your ability to handle. The death of a loved one, a dreaded diagnosis, the addiction of a friend, an unexpected financial calamity, no one is exempt from trials. God uses hardships to draw people closer to Him. In fact, desperation is a part of my testimony. God used desperation to free me from religion and bring me to life in the Spirit. No doubt, in desperate times, one should call upon God. Biblically speaking, desperation definitely has its place. So not all desperation is a bad thing. But to be honest with you, I believe that desperation is overrated. And its place is all too often misunderstood. While we should call upon God when we face hardships, and while God will use tough consequences to bring forth repentance, desperation should neither be the persistent posture nor the lifestyle of the Spirit-filled believer. We must have believed the idea that we have to plead and press in order to invoke a response from God. In the first place, none of us are so persuasive as to be able to convince God to do anything. Here's the reality. Our persistence doesn't move God. He's unmovable. Rather, our persistence positions us to receive. And it's not as though God is looking down from heaven withholding His presence and power from us, waiting for us to become desperate enough in order for Him to move. Oh, if only you had shouted louder. If only you had jumped up and down during the song service. If only you had cried out for five minutes longer, I would have heard you. I would have responded. Sadly, some Christian leaders push this idea of a desperate lifestyle either by sincere mistake or out of a need to hype an atmosphere. Perhaps some even want to create a desperation culture so that it appears that the people are responding more to their gift, to their preaching, or to their worship leading. Whatever the reason, it must be noted that the believer doesn't have to beg for an audience with God. I imagine the conversation between the believer and God sometimes goes something like this. Father, do you hear me? Yes, I hear you. Father, please listen to me. I'm listening. God, please don't ignore me. I'm not ignoring you. You don't need to beg for God's presence when He lives in you. You don't need to plead to be heard when He's already listening. You don't need to cry out for something that's already been given to you. Believer, you're already one with God. But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Let's first create the chapter 6 verse 17. Imagine how much time you could save in prayer if instead of begging God to hear you, you simply believe that He already does. Could it be that the reason we're so often desperate for God is because we've not been connecting with God daily as we should? If I eat regularly, I still become hungry. If I skip too many meals, I become starving. Spiritually hungry? Yes. Spiritually starving? No. Desire God? Yes. Desperate for God? No. Our pleading is too loud. Servants beg. Strangers beg. Sons come boldly with faith. Desperation is a great initiator, but a terrible sustainer. Desperation initiates, but only faith sustains. Desperation is what brings me to the Lord. But once I have Him, why would I ever be desperate for His presence again? You don't enter the glory through noisy desperation. You enter through faith-filled confidence. Confident faith, not desperation, is the way to know the presence of the Holy Spirit. There's no need for you to punish or exhaust yourself. Just come boldly through faith. And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him. 1 John 5 verse 14, I don't pray to connect with God. I pray from connection with God. I don't worship to connect with God. I worship from connection with God. I'm David Diga Hernandez, and that is your Moment of Truth. For more free teachings like this, make sure you're signed up to my emailing list so that I can send you weekly emails with content that will help you to grow spiritually. Go to DavidHernandezMinistries.com slash email. Thank you for watching EncounterTV. Don't forget to subscribe and click the notification bell. Also, help us spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. Make a one-time donation or become a monthly supporter by clicking on the donate link now.