Do You Feel Trapped By Your Circumstances?

What do you do when you face an impossible situation? Whether it is financial, physical, emotional, or something else, everyone has situations that make them feel like they’re boxed in on every side, lacking the necessary answers and change that they need. Physical, mental and spiritual exhaustion can begin to make one feel drained of vitality, faith and hope. What do you do when life becomes unbearable?  What is the answer when hope is asphyxiated and people feel trapped by their circumstances? Pray to the Lord of the Impossible.

There are so many variables in each person’s life and circumstances that it is difficult to address them all, but there are things one can examine to help diagnose a problematic situation. Sometimes people get so caught up in trying to deal with the difficulties of life that they forget to ask the important questions up front. Scripture gives us guidelines for many of the things we may encounter, but we cannot presume to know God’s will about every situation unless we seek Him. When we find ourselves struggling with renegade thoughts, difficult circumstances or situations that seem determined not to give us a break, we must pray and ask the Lord, “What is Your will in this situation?” Perhaps a couple other very good questions are, “What do you want me to learn from this?” or “What action would you like me to take?” More often than not, when things aren’t going well figuring out whether we are trying to enforce our will or God’s will can make all the difference. We need His perspective, His leadership, and His directives. Without them, we will end up struggling unnecessarily, lose our peace and joy, and feel completely frustrated. When we understand God’s intention and we sense His leadership in our life, our spirit can find a place of rest.

In order for hope to find an anchor in our soul, it must be grounded in something steadfast, immovable and proven. Hope will turn to faith when it’s anchored in something that has a proven track record of success. We have a rock in Jesus Christ; a solid, trustworthy person whose character is proven.  

If a person is not a born again believer in Jesus Christ, they may well become a victim of circumstance. A person that confesses their faith in Jesus Christ, however, always has hope because God is bound by His covenant to honor His promises. When people look at their circumstances and feel that they are too overwhelming, they may feel it is impossible to change or break free from such limiting situations. It can be easy for a person in that state of mind to succumb to self-pity if they are not alert to that possibility. When life doesn’t go as we hoped, it can be very easy to feel sorry for ourselves, but staying in that place too long can be dangerous. Complaining and bitterness provide an open door to the spirit of self-pity, and if the enemy finds it, the spirits of poverty, death and ruin come right along with it.  

This might not be easy to read, but it does need to be addressed. Sometimes people enjoy the attention they get from their problems more than they actually want to receive a breakthrough. The sympathetic responses of others can feed a need to feel validated, recognized or affirmed. The person bound by self-pity and unbelief has actually traded in the truth in exchange for a false belief system built around the deception of the enemy. These things reinforce negative emotions that feed unbelief. We are all entitled to our emotions, but we must also guard our heart and mouth lest we drown ourselves in bitterness and misery. These things work together to cripple a person’s faith. As unbelief grows stronger, life becomes a downward spiral that continues to paralyze the individual and make them completely trapped in their circumstances. The result is a person that has broken faith with God, and they may not even realize they have done so. The spiritual reality is that unbelief is aligned with rebellion towards God, and He cannot bless us when we are in agreement with the wrong things. He blesses faith and obedience. It is dangerous to adopt a victim mentality. Don’t do it! The person that has their hope anchored in Christ, however, must make a choice to fight that lie and embrace the war cry of an overcomer: "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Nothing is impossible with God!"

·         Faith believes in God’s ability.

·         Faith declares the promises of God.

·         Faith is a confident expectation that God will move on our behalf.

·         Faith trusts the covenant relationship established by God.

If you are feeling trapped by your circumstances, one of the first things to understand is the need to surrender every bit of it to the Lord. A need to control others or the way we feel circumstances should go indicates the presence of fear and a lack of trust towards the Lord. If you have broken faith with God in some area or have spoken the wrong things, confess them so that they can be forgiven. God waits until we realize our own limitations and weaknesses and let Him have control. People often experience pain and frustration because they have not yet learned to let go and surrender control. There will be times when God wants to close doors or redirect us to something different. A person may never experience God’s best if they insist on trying to stay where they are or keep doing what they’ve been doing - even though their best efforts fail to produce a desirable outcome.  One definition of insanity is to continue doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. Friend, it’s time to get off the merry-go-round! No matter what you’re facing, you must be willing to trust God and surrender your storm!

Generational curses or spiritual blocks to prayer can be another reason why people often feel stuck in their circumstances. The spirit realm sees things much differently than we do. Demons know if they have a legitimate entry point into a person’s life and thus are able to prevent answers to prayer from coming forth. Perhaps the best course of action is to ask God to show you if one of these issues could be a reason why answers to prayer are withheld. Blocked prayer is not necessarily the same thing as a generational curse, or an unbroken curse of some sort, but both are important to address. This is not an exhaustive list of spiritual blocks to prayer, but some of them include: bitterness or unforgiveness, an attitude of unbelief or double-mindedness, slander or speaking against others in the body of Christ, personal sin, expecting God to move on our terms, misplaced faith, no personal relationship with God, asking for the wrong thing, murmuring and complaining, and idolatry. God has said in His word that His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. The responsibility falls on us to determine where we might be missing an important truth. In one form or another, all sin comes from separation from our true identity, separation from others (broken relationships) and separation from God. These things can cause us to stay stuck in our circumstances until we address them properly – not according to our own feelings, opinions or beliefs - but according to God’s word. Generational curses also keep people trapped in old cycles so that they cannot seem to move forward. When we are unsure of the reason why we are stuck or feeling trapped by our circumstances, if we will seek God for answers, He will send the answer we need.

God is not daunted by the things that are beyond our control. He works outside the norm. It is not up to us to figure out HOW our prayers will be answered; simply to trust that He will. When life seems overwhelming and you feel frustrated, remind yourself that it’s not your job to figure out the details. We have to trust Him to work in ways we do not always understand. God’s ways are infinitely higher than our ways. He knows people we don’t know, and He works with pieces of the puzzle we don’t know even exist! As we trust Him to work out the details, He causes us to cross paths with those that He has chosen to bless us. His favor towards us is what compels others to release the things we need.

Part of getting ‘unstuck’ from your current circumstances is to have an understanding of your identity in Christ. Do you realize that there are some doors that will not open until you see yourself the way God wants you to see yourself? It is easy to feel defeated or unable to see a way out of your present situation if you don’t know who you are or how to utilize what God has made available. A child of God has the same DNA as their Father. We are made in the image and likeness of God. Because the Spirit of God lives within us, the power to create with Him resides within us. Romans 4:17 reminds us that we have the ability to ‘call those things that are not as though they were.’ Truth displaces lies and has the power to restore faith. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. Faith assures us in our ability to use the authority God has given us. The authority of God in the believer often times has the ability to create the breakthrough that is needed. As we speak forth the promises of God, the way opens up before us. Sometimes we think we are waiting on God but perhaps He is waiting on us to get a revelation and run with it. Our pressing needs and a sense of desperation are not always what releases answers; faith and obedience moves God’s hand.

Whatever your circumstance, God can make a way where there doesn’t seem to be one. My husband and I have experienced many, many breakthroughs. It’s when we thought we had nothing to work with that God moved. When we didn’t have a job, God gave my husband a creative idea that led to work. When we didn’t have any money in the bank, God had us start our own business. When we didn’t have a ministry, God launched one off of a little tuna casserole. When I miscarried and was told I wouldn’t have any more children, my husband prophesied into an empty womb and it brought forth our son. We have so many testimonies of God breaking through difficult circumstances. Every one of them seemed impossibleuntil God showed up. When you place a demand on the anointing, your faith pulls the answer out of the unseen realm. Your circumstances can change in a moment.


Never give up on the brink of a miracle! God delights in difficult situations because it creates a new story the world is waiting to hear. Your story could be next! All things become possible to him who believes. Would you like to encounter the Lord of all your impossible situations? “Call on the name of the Lord and He will show you great and mighty things you know not of!” Jer. 33:3.

**Please browse the many prayers on this  site. The Breakthrough Prayer is great for getting people 'unstuck!'**

This article was recently published in the premier issue of Godspeed magazine.
http://godspeedmag.com/magazine/issues/premiere-issue/mission-possible

#Doyoufeeltrappedbyyourcircumstances? #Getunstuck, #Prayingforbreakthrough

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for this encouragement. You have a gift and it has blessed me, thank you.

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