Challenges/Tests

When it comes to challenges/stumbling blocks that happen just as your plans/heart's desires are about to happen; how do you tell if it's the enemy trying to discourage you/witchcraft/demonic attack or it's God's testing your endurance/your faith.?

You pray for God's guidance. God's Word tells us what's within the realm of His will. So if your plans align with His will, then it could only be an attack of satan.

Thanks for the answer. I am talking about a plan like to expand my business. It being a plan I had prayed to God about, asking that may it happen, with an inspiration from Psalm 20 which says "Make He make your plans succeed". But then for no reason comes challenge after challenge when the plan is supposed to happen.

If your plans are to honor God through your business then it very well could be satan setting one snare after another to try and stop you.

If it only be for selfish, greed, or contributes to helping the ills of society then it could be God telling you to go a different way.

You will have to search your heart and make sure it aligns with God.

Thank you. The expansion means employment of more people, meaning more people being able to feed thier families, I think this honors God also. It's in no way meant to aid things which are not aligned with God. Also through my business I am a charitable person, I give every chance I get, especially to strangers. So I really think the enemy is at play here.

The only other thing that I can think of that is important to God is wise choices. For example, can you afford more employees. If that is a yes and your business falls into align with the morality of God then it can only be Satan.

But be equally diligent in protecting your self from satan's schemes. It could indicate there is something in your life that you must address before God is ready to give more responsibility.

Hi Fred,

I know you've probably heard several times before that God has 3 answers to prayer: "Yes," "No," and "Wait."

Do you have anyone at your church who can pray with you for confirmation over whether you are to go through with the expansion? Do you also have business mentors and peers with experience in this area who can calculate/double check the risks and costs along with you?

Even if God is giving you a definite yes, He may be telling you to wait. I grew up in a small town area where dozens of businesses came and went over the years, often because the owners had not done enough research to see that their business really wouldn't do well in that area. I know someone last week who was interested in closing a business deal, but he talked to someone with more experience who found weaknesses that would have led to a bleedout instead of profit to pay anyone.

Many years ago, I had thought of purchasing a small business myself. It seemed like a great opportunity to provide jobs and fair treatment to the employees. I was a regular customer there and had gotten to know the owner, regular staff, and several daily customers.

But I felt God was telling me to wait. Over a few months, several things came out that I didn't know about -- the business was not only failing, but it was way in over its head due to poor management decisions. The owners were writing checks to delay the bill collectors, but every single check was bouncing.

I would have been taking on a mess that would have been an instant money pit, and I am so glad that God stopped me.

You definitely seem to have your heart in the right place, but challenges might not always be from the devil. I have seen many times where people think they are to move forward, but God is actually the one holding them back for their own good.

I don't know what your business is but with as uncertain as the world is today, maybe God is wanting you to wait because He knows things are coming, like supply chain issues, a lack of employees, or collapses in the market that He knows you're not equipped to handle yet.

If you are able to find mentors in your area of expertise, maybe they can either help you see a way through the challenges or else give you solid, trustworthy advice as to whether or not your business can handle the expansion.

For instance, will you need to take out a loan? Maybe God knows that interest rates are going to shoot up far beyond what your company could pay and still take care of your employees.

I definitely believe in spiritual warfare, but I've also seen many instances in which the devil was blamed, but it was actually about doing more research and staying realistic rather than a spiritual attack.

I know we walk by faith and not necessarily by sight, but sometimes, the sight of the real numbers and real costs on a balance sheet just cannot be ignored.

Blessings and best wishes to you, and I hope you will keep us posted on how it goes!

I go to His word and listen very closely to what He has to tell me, not what I want to hear.