Testing Comes Before Blessing

[Testing Comes Before Blessing]( Current Teaching Series [Living in the Goodness of God]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [Testing Comes Before Blessing]( By Rick Warren — 02/03/2023 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= “I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them.” Zechariah 13:9 (NLT) Some prayers are answered immediately, but others take weeks, months, or even years. You probably know this all too well! But there’s good news: While you’re praying for God’s answer, you’re going to learn some things that you can’t learn any other way. In the waiting, there is blessing. One of the blessings is that you learn more about yourself when you don’t instantly get everything you want. For two of the most important prayers I’ve ever prayed, God took 13 years to answer one of them and 25 years for the other. But he answered! They were the most important prayers in my life at that time. Why did it take so long? Because while I was working on the prayer, God was working on me. When you’re going through fire, do you ever wonder why you have to go through it? It’s for testing and purification. As you pray about something over and over again, you face tests that reveal more about you. God says in Zechariah 13:9, “I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold” (NLT). You test gold by putting it in a big vat and heating it until it gets so hot that all the impurities are burned off. How do metalsmiths know when gold and silver are pure? When they can see their reflection in them. God can see his reflection in you when the impurities have burned out of your life—after you’ve been through the fire. He says that, after he’s done the testing and purification, “They will call on my name, and I will answer them” (Zechariah 13:9 NLT). Answered prayer comes after the test. Before every blessing, there is a testing. God tests you with stress before he trusts you with success. These are the principles of persistent prayer. God is going to test you before he blesses you. And in that test, you’re going to learn a lot about yourself. If you give up praying, you’re never going to learn the lessons that help you become more like Jesus. Keep praying with persistence each day. And remember that after the testing, the blessing will come. [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - Think of a time when God allowed you to go through the fire before he answered your prayer. In what ways did you grow through that experience? - Why is it important for you to become more like Jesus? - How is God testing you right now? What will you do today to be persistent in prayer? The post [Testing Comes Before Blessing]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= [Get the Living in the Goodness of God Guided Bible Study when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( Start trusting God’s goodness in every area of life by exploring Psalm 23 with Pastor Rick’s Living in the Goodness of God Guided Bible Study. This beautiful, interactive, book will help you... • Revolutionize your life and your relationships • Recharge your body and mind • Create a habit of worship instead of worry • Practice loving God and others well • Use your time for the things that matter most • Stop comparing and start being content • And so much more! [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 12 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series Living in the Goodness of God. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: Is God Really Good All the Time? Message 2: Letting God Meet My Needs Message 3: Relaxing in God’s Goodness Message 4: How God’s Goodness Can Restore You Message 5: How to Be Led by God’s Spirit Message 6: The God of My Valleys Message 7: How Jesus Treats His Sheep Message 8: How God Lifts Me Up When I’m Worn Down Message 9: Living an Anointed Life Message 10: From Overwhelmed to Overflowing Message 11: Why You Don’t Need to Fear the Future Message 12: Heaven: God’s Eternal Goodness to You [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( As the founding pastor of Saddleback Church with his wife Kay, Dr. Rick Warren leads a 30,000-member congregation in California with campuses in major cities around the world. As an author, his book [The Purpose Driven Life]( is one of the best-selling nonfiction books in publishing history. It has been translated into 74 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the century. Rick also founded [The PEACE Plan]( to address five global issues—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. You can listen to Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope, his daily 25-minute audio teaching, and sign up for his free daily devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, 23182 Arroyo Vista, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, United States