http:\/\/www.rickhocker.com\/articles.html<\/a> and click on the top link.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you\u2019re like me, you want a magic formula to guarantee that God will answer your prayers every time. When God doesn’t come through, you think that maybe you did something wrong. I didn’t have enough faith. My intention wasn’t pure enough. My heart wasn’t right. I should’ve prayed more or prayed differently. No magic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7Hhvw-2z","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":269,"url":"https:\/\/www.rickhocker.com\/weblog\/accepting-all-outcomes\/","url_meta":{"origin":159,"position":0},"title":"Accepting All Outcomes","date":"May 27, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Life rarely turns out the way we prefer. Someone hurts us. We get sick. We suffer loss. If we believe in God, we turn to God for help. We pray for reconciliation, for healing, for provision. Sometimes, our requests aren't granted, even when our requests are legitimate and sincere. One\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Spirituality"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":331,"url":"https:\/\/www.rickhocker.com\/weblog\/creating-an-opening-for-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":159,"position":1},"title":"Creating an Opening for God","date":"October 31, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Among those who believe in the power of prayer, some seem to have better results than others. Why is that? No formula exists that can force God to do what we want. God is not manipulated. But we can take steps to make us more receptive to His generosity. Preparation\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Openness to God"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":305,"url":"https:\/\/www.rickhocker.com\/weblog\/when-effort-is-not-enough\/","url_meta":{"origin":159,"position":2},"title":"When Effort is Not Enough","date":"September 21, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"When you pursue an important goal, you want God\u2019s help to accomplish it, whether looking for a job, trying to lose weight, or seeking wisdom for a friend in trouble. But what is the balance between exerting effort and trusting in God? What is your part and what is God\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":299,"url":"https:\/\/www.rickhocker.com\/weblog\/the-indwelling-spirit-of-christ\/","url_meta":{"origin":159,"position":3},"title":"The Indwelling Spirit of Christ","date":"June 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Our identity as Christians is based on our relationship to Christ. A common phrase to describe this identity is \u201cwho we are in Christ.\u201d Our relationship to Christ as our savior gains us favored status with God, imparts Christ\u2019s purity and righteousness to cover over our sinfulness, and grants us\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Christ"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":250,"url":"https:\/\/www.rickhocker.com\/weblog\/trust-versus-fear\/","url_meta":{"origin":159,"position":4},"title":"Trust Versus Fear","date":"December 17, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The opposite of trust is fear, and fear causes us to make wrong choices. Trusting in God frees us from desperate actions because we believe God will take care of us. When we don't trust in God, we are left to rely on ourselves. But when we doubt our ability\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Spirituality"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":246,"url":"https:\/\/www.rickhocker.com\/weblog\/engaging-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":159,"position":5},"title":"Engaging God","date":"November 6, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"How do we come to know God? Do we grasp God by reading books? Or by listening to others tell us who God is? Reading a book about someone isn't as instructive as interacting with that person firsthand. 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