Forum 4B-C.P.P.E. (Challenging Personal Prayer Experiences)

There are a lot of times when I am seeking answers from God that the answers don't come easily. Sometimes I do get an answer right away but it seems to be more often something that takes time. One of the most patience-trying (but also one of the most faith-building) experiences is when I ask for direction and my answer is "not that way".

Well that's great. That eliminates one way. But what about the other ways? There are a lot of them. I've crossed off one....but what about the others?

God not only gives us direction, he also has given us agency, the ability to choose. So He also gives us practice in making our own choices. But He won't let us go wrong (or at least not for long) without redirecting us. As Paul and others went on missions, they started preaching the Gospel message in foreign lands. There were times where they'd be directed by the Spirit to avoid where they were going. Then when they made their next decision, they were told "No" on that one two. But they didn't give up. Instead, they kept persevering until they were directed to the place where they were supposed to teach. (Acts 16)

Why would God do that? Why wouldn't He just say "Go here" or "You're needed in this city"? I really love what Jeffery R. Holland said in one of his talks. To paraphrase, he told the story of being out in an unfamiliar place with his son. When they came to a fork in the road, they didn't know which way to go. They said a prayer and received an answer to go one way. But when they continued that road, they found it was a dead-end. They retraced their steps and continued down the other road to find that that one was the correct one and took them where they wanted to go. Elder Holland's son asked why God would have led them down the wrong road.

Elder Holland's inspired answer was that sometimes, God lets us go down the wrong road for a while so that when we finally do make it to the right road, we have absolute confidence that we are where we are supposed to be. So maybe, when revelation isn't coming easily or is only coming in spurts, it's not a sign that you're failing. Maybe it's a chance for you to exercise your ability to choose and trust that God will direct you where you're supposed to go, even it sometimes seems like you're going the wrong direction or even in circles.