What happens when the process feels too long? When the fire burns hotter than you thought you could stand, and the waiting stretches far beyond what you expected?
This is where faith becomes more than words; it becomes a lifeline. This is where we learn to hold on when everything in us wants to let go.
God allows these tests not to punish you, but to bring things to the surface, things that have been hidden deep inside your heart.
I didn’t realize I was bitter until God began to expose it little by little. He didn’t come right out and tell me, “You’re bitter.” Instead, He allowed me to be around people who openly talked about their own bitterness—people who were aware of it and struggling with it. As I listened to them and began praying for their hearts, God quietly redirected me to start praying for my own.
It took time for me to see that I was carrying bitterness too. And not just that: there were other hidden things buried deep within my heart that needed to be brought into the light, layer by layer.
So, God takes His time.
At first, you may say, “Yes, Lord, I’ll obey!” thinking it’ll be easy. But when obedience starts costing you something, when days turn into months and months into years, your patience starts to run thin. You begin to wonder if you lost track with God.
The Illusion of Strength
I don’t want to give you empty motivation. I’m not here to tell you to “just hang in there” and pretend everything is fine. I want to tell you the truth: this season will stretch you.
So don’t try to act strong when you’re not. Don’t hide your pain behind a mask of faith. God doesn’t need your performance; He wants your heart.
- If you’re angry, tell Him.
- If you’re disappointed, tell Him.
- If your patience has run out and you don’t think you can go through it one more time, tell Him that too.
Honesty is not rebellion; it’s intimacy.
The Israelites struggled with this. When God gave them commands, they were confident, saying, “Whatever God says, we will do.” But their confidence was in themselves, not in God.
But they failed every time they were tested. Their hearts were hardened to the point that they couldn’t see that they couldn’t do it on their own. Let’s not be like them.
Processing with God, Not Hiding from Him
If you’ve been burying your emotions, pretending everything’s fine, and showing up in church smiling while your heart is breaking, I want to gently invite you back to your prayer closet.
You don’t need a stage or a pastor to tell you when to cry out. Your private prayer space is the safest place you can fall apart. That’s where healing begins.
Holding on doesn’t mean pretending you’re strong; it means choosing to depend on the One who is. Like Paul said, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Because in your weakness, Jesus becomes your strength.
This is how intimacy grows, not by trying harder, but by surrendering deeper.
When All You Can Do Is Crawl
I remember a time when the warfare was so heavy that I could barely pray. I felt like the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5: crawling, desperate, weak, but still reaching out for Jesus.
I would picture myself holding tightly to the hem of His garment, tears streaming down my face, refusing to let go. Not because I was strong, but because I knew He was my only hope.
Sometimes faith looks like standing tall, but other times it looks like crawling, holding on to Jesus when you can barely breathe. And that’s okay. He never rebukes honest pain.
Even Jesus cried out, “Father, if it’s possible, take this cup from me.” And what did the Father do? He sent angels to strengthen Him. That’s what God does for us too. He meets us in our weakness, not with condemnation, but with comfort.
Learning to Master the Storm Within
This is why processing your emotions with God matters. The enemy will always target your emotions in the wilderness. He wants to make you angry, bitter, and discouraged enough to give up.
Remember Cain? God asked him, “Why are you angry?” Not because God didn’t know, but because He cared. Cain ignored that question, and his silence led to sin.
God warned him that sin was crouching at the door, and he needed to master it.
Mastering sin begins with mastering our emotions
Before sin ever shows up in our actions, it first takes root in our emotions: our anger, fear, jealousy, or pride. Cain’s issue began with his emotions: his hurt, his envy, and his disappointment.
That’s why one of the greatest forms of spiritual maturity is learning to pause and invite God into our emotional responses. When we don’t bring our emotions to God, they can easily become open doors for the enemy to manipulate us.
But when we surrender our feelings: our anger, frustration, and pain to the Holy Spirit, He teaches us how to respond instead of react.
Healing doesn’t mean we stop feeling; it means our feelings no longer control us. Emotional mastery in the Kingdom isn’t about suppressing what we feel; it’s about submitting what we feel to God so He can transform it.
That’s where true freedom begins.
When you feel like giving up, take time to process your emotions with the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to show you what’s really going on beneath the surface: the fear, the fatigue, and the frustration. Let Him help you carry it. Because holding on isn’t about being strong; it’s about staying connected.
Don’t Let Go
Friend, I know you’re tired. For some, it’s been years of waiting, praying, and wondering if God will ever come through. But hold on.
The promises of God are not broken. They may be delayed, but they’re not denied.
I’m not writing this from the finish line; I’m writing this from the middle of the wilderness. The warfare is still real. But one thing I’ve learned is this: the promises of God are my anchor. When I want to let go, His Word keeps me standing.
Keep holding on to what He said. Keep showing up, even if all you can do is whisper, “Jesus, I still trust You.”
Because when the time is right, He will come through.
Scripture
2 Corinthians 12:9 (WEB)
He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
Reflection
1. What area of your life feels hardest to hold on to right now? How can you invite God into that space honestly, without pretending?
2. Think about a moment when God strengthened you in your weakness. What did that reveal about His character?
3. How might “holding on” look different if you stop striving and start surrendering?
Heart Work
Find a quiet space this week and pour out your heart to God: every frustration, fear, and question. Be completely honest with Him.
Then, write down one promise from His Word that you can hold on to in this season. Speak it aloud whenever you feel weary.
You don’t have to have it all together; you just need to keep reaching for Jesus. Even if you’re crawling, keep holding on to the hem of His garment. He won’t let you go.