I’m a big believer in prayer. I pray every day and through out the day. I think you have to when you’re a mum. Actually, I think you have to no matter who you are because life doesn’t always go how we want it to.
As you know, last year was a difficult year for me and after some thoughtful reflection, I was able to belt out this post which seemed to resonate with many of you.
Funnily enough, the day that I published the post, I was tested (and I failed) when a good friend made a delivery to me of a book that I could have been a part of (if I’d known about it). But my rival was published in it instead.
I honestly felt disappointed. I tried to be the better person and not be envious but I failed. I tried to understand why I was feeling the way I did. I knuckled it down to the unfairness of them being included when they had done wrong to me in the past.
After a walk and a good night’s sleep, I didn’t think too much more about it. Instead, it gave me motivation to edit my book, which is the whole reason I started this blog.
I also prayed for my bad reaction to the book and asked that God would bless my rival – which I have been doing since my ordeal happened last year.
So I get over last week, and on Monday I receive a work order… for my rival. I couldn’t believe it. Two weeks of being nudged with my rival’s successes. I emailed the company promptly to let them know they’d sent the email to the wrong person and gave them the correct details of my rival.
After receiving the work order email, I had a less than ordinary couple of days dealing with kids and late payments for work I’d done over Christmas and New Years. I was a bit over everything and everyone. I just wanted to get away from it all.
Except I couldn’t. So I rang my mum instead and downloaded everything I was trying to manage.
As I talked to my mum about my frustration and disappointment with the book and work, my mum encouraged me to pray that my rival would be blessed.
I told her I had. And then I realized, my prayers were being answered.
From the moment I had my issues in 2015, I prayed for blessing on my rival. I don’t know why I did it. I think the prayer was more for my benefit than my rival’s. I want us both to make it in our industry. I don’t take joy in watching someone fail. I feel sad when I read the news of yet another business closing it’s doors. I don’t like to see people be unsuccessful.
These last two weeks, I believe I was meant to receive the book and get the work order as a way to not only test me, but remind me that God has been answering my prayers and He totally understands the situation. And just because my rival is getting their blessing, doesn’t mean I won’t miss out on mine. Both of our futures are bright, especially if I’m praying for both of us.
So I will continue to pray, as I do, and not be surprised of the answers.
And my encouragement is to always pray for people who do wrong towards you or are rivalling you in your industry. While you have no clue of what the prayers are doing for your rivals (in my case I do), you can feel the prayer work inside you as it releases the negative energy you can pontentially store towards them.
How do you react when a rival reaches a success before you? Do you believe in the power of prayer?
I’m linking up with With Some Grace for FYBF.
