“So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place that He was”

-          John 11:6

Whether in sermons, books or movies, the Christian world loves to focus on success stories. We hear glorious examples of how a person prayed and God came through in a miraculous way, solving all of his problems. These stories come together like a Hollywood storyline, and everything works out just as we think it should. We love to think of a God who swoops in to save the day like some kind of ethereal superhero in a white robe. While these types of stories are true and encouraging much of the time, for those who are suffering with no seeming help or rescue they can be demoralizing. Sometimes God is silent when we pray. Sometimes He lets us struggle through difficulty, seemingly without any answer to our distress. In real life, sometimes we have to watch while a relative’s health declines no matter how fervently we pray; or the finances get tighter as the stretch of joblessness drags on past a year. One of the biggest strains on a Christian’s faith comes when God is silent during a period of prolonged suffering.