There are some times when the things you are praying about don’t come, I mean when all you can ever think or imagine isn’t coming your way.

We all make plans, we set daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals, but there are times when with all the goals we have written down, it seems as though things aren’t just going as we planned with all you are doing.

Kunle’s goals might look like this

Get a degree by 23

Get a well paying job by 25

Have at least 500,000 in investment by 28

Get married by 31

While Esther’s goals might look like this

Get a degree by 21

Get a well paying job by 24

Get married by 26

Be through with child bearing by 32

It’s no surprise that Kunle might still be unmarried by 34 and the only amount he has saved so far is #100,000

And Esther might still be unmarried at 32!

How best then can we navigate our journey when life is not going as we  planned, and it seems everyone is getting it right accept you?

1. BEAR IN MIND THAT YOU ARE DEEPLY LOVED

Oftentimes, when things are going on smoothly with us, we tend to feel that we are so loved by God, but when what we experience isn't that great, we are quick to equate it with hatred on God's side, but then the fact remains that either when we go through the good times or the bad times of life, we are deeply loved by God.

Often times when things don’t go as planned, we are tempted to think that God does not love us as much as we think he does especially when we have been so committed to him and have pleased him all our lives.

In Fireshots a book by Mrs Ebunoluwa Omoniyi (you should search for that book, it’s a great read), she mentioned this as one of the lessons God taught her at a particular season of her life.

I remember at some point too when it seems the world was closing down on me, this understanding with various love acts from to me helped me scale through.

Speaking of love acts,these are God’s ways of easing and helping us know that things are not as bad as they seem.

Let me tell you one of my experiences of God’s love acts.

During my service year in Ekiti State, I was going through some tough times and God seem so far from me. On a particular Sunday morning, I opened my bible randomly to a portion ( I didn't use my devotional that morning), it was that portion of the bible where God was telling his people that he can never forget them. I appreciated God for his word, got up from the bed and got dressed for church.

Isaiah 49:15

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!

It happened that a pastor from another assembly happened to be in my church that Sunday, when it was time for him to minister, he started by telling us how what he was going to preach was not the same as what he had prepared previously. He said his new message was for someone and the first text he told us to open was my devotional text few hours ago. He went further to echo all that God had told me that morning.

I sat there dumbfounded.

You can imagine how I left church that Sunday morning, I left gallantly knowing that God loves me and he has his heart full with the thought of me.

Though your love acts does not necessarily have to follow my pattern, it might just be something random but which fully communicates how much God loves you, if you can be very observant, you would notice those trends, there are so many things God is doing to make you laugh amidst the storm, watch out for it.

2. LEARN YOUR LESSONS

Most times when the things we plan for don’t come, some sees it as an avenue to begin to complain and lament, but that should not be the case.  It should be a time for us to determine in our heart to make good use of that phase and to learn the lessons God will have us learn at that particular phase of our life.

The things we go through are not just for the sake of it but for us to be able to develop stamina and character to carry what we are praying for.

There are many times when life doesn’t go the way we planned it out, sometimes it leads others to having depressing thoughts or just committing suicide, we should see it as being enrolled in a school where we are being taught the pros & cons that will be needed after graduation.

So amidst it all, learn all you can learn.

3.  MAINTAIN A GRATEFUL HEART

This is so important!

The devil always wants us to see the one thousand and one things that are not going right in our life and thus keep us from the so many things that are going fine.

When life isn’t going as planned, see to it that you maintain a grateful heart,  create out time to write a list of all that is working in your life, this art is counting your many blessings.

Consistently choose to be grateful, I used the word choose because you will be in the middle of two choices, either to complain or to be grateful, so you must make a deliberate choice to always be grateful.

You might not have a good paying job yet, but you are healthy, that's a blessing, so count your many blessings.

4. DON’T PINE AWAY, ADD VALUE TO YOUR LIFE

It’s so easy to stop enjoying the present while waiting for the future.

Instead of just living through life and expecting tomorrow and all its goodies, make sure you decide to enjoy life to the fullest now too. Life itself is not a destination but a journey, so savor every minute you spend now because you won't ever have that day, month, or year spent back.

There was a time you were praying for all the things you now have, so also, a time will come not distant from now when you will have all that you are asking for now, so enjoy the journey.

5. KEEP TRUSTING GOD

I must confess that this is almost the hardest thing to do.

There are times when trusting God seems illogical, if it were ways we understood, it would have being different, but His ways are not our ways neither are his thoughts our thought.

The human mind naturally loves to be in control, we want to be able to get everything all figured out by ourselves, but it won't always work that way, there will be days when it will be so obvious we can't help ourselves, days like that is when we totally put our hands up and fully trust God and his judgement, knowing full well that he loves us and wants the best for us.

Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your 

ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight
I know letting go of the reins of our life into the hands of God is hard, but it is what we must do,  we must keep trusting.



 Do you have other tips, please share with us to encourage others too.