Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
2 9 2026
Sounds Like an Opportunity Part III
I was listening to a short piece on my phone the other day that took me back to a scene from the 2004 movie Evan Almighty. God tells Evan to build an ark. Later, his wife is sitting in a restaurant, clearly unsettled, and the waiter asks her, “Is everything okay?”
She says, “Not really. God just told my husband to build an ark.
What am I supposed to do with that?”
The waiter, who was God, looks at her and says something so simple, yet so profound:
“Sounds like an opportunity.”
That line stuck with me.
Because he goes on to say something that reframes the way we think about prayer.
He said, “If you pray to God for patience, do you think He just gives you patience—
or does He give you an opportunity to be patient?
If you pray for courage, do you think He just hands it out—
or does He give you an opportunity to be courageous?
If you pray for a loving family, do you think He just gives you warm, squishy feelings—
or does He give you an opportunity to love one another?”
And I found myself thinking… what other areas does this apply to?
What is the godly wisdom being imparted here?
Scripture tells us that God is far more interested in forming our character than in insulating us from discomfort.
“Consider it pure joy… whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
(James 1:2–3)
When the Prayer Costs You Something
If you pray for provision, do you think God always replaces the job immediately…
or does He give you an opportunity to trust Him when the income stops but the bills don’t?
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:19)
Provision often comes—but not always on our timeline.
If you pray for healing in your marriage, do you think God simply erases the pain?
or does He give you an opportunity to obey Him when your spouse files for divorce and your heart is shattered?
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
(Psalm 34:18)
If you pray for healing in your body, do you think God always removes the diagnosis—
or does He give you an opportunity to trust Him when your future suddenly feels fragile?
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”
(2 Corinthians 12:9)
And suddenly the truth hit me in the head AGAIN:
The answer to the prayer is not always the removal of the struggle…
Isn’t it always God’s presence in the middle of it?
Faith That Matches the Prayer
We often pray for direction, but we struggle with the faith required to wait for it.
We pray for clarity, but we don’t like the silence that forces us to trust.
Yet Scripture reminds us:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
(Proverbs 3:5)
That verse assumes there will be moments where understanding is missing.
I am sure you know all about that!
Waiting on God is not passive.
It is an act of surrender.
It is choosing not to force outcomes, not to manipulate results, not to rush ahead because fear is louder than faith.
“Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.”
(Isaiah 40:31)
You do know that…Waiting is where faith matures.
So maybe the job loss is not just a loss.
Maybe it’s an opportunity to learn that God truly is your provider.
Maybe the divorce is not just devastating.
Maybe it’s an opportunity to discover that God is faithful even when people are not.
Maybe the diagnosis is not just fear.
Maybe it’s an opportunity to place your life fully in God’s hands.
Not because it’s easy.
Not because it’s fair.
But because God does His deepest work in the places where we have no control.
So when life doesn’t make sense…
when the prayer hasn’t been answered the way you hoped…
when all you can do is trust…
Maybe, in the truest sense of faith,
It sounds like an opportunity.
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You Never gave up on me. Bates
