by Shannon Tillman | Sep 3, 2026 | Blog, Thoughts
I want to share something with you that God showed me as I walked through one of the most difficult seasons of my life. I cried out to God and nothing changed. I fasted, and the situations seemed to only get worse. I held up the promises and yet the enemy’s agenda went forward. Every area of my life was impacted. There was nothing safe, nothing unharmed, nothing that was not permanently traumatized. Each month something terrible happened, to the point that I began to panic when a month was wrapping up. What horrible thing would happen next? My husband and I often just cried together, not having enough energy for words.
I was broken.
In the midst of the heartache, I felt the Lord impress a message on me. It was simple, but profound. And I hope that the simplicity of the words will help you in whatever difficult situation you may be walking through. Here is what I heard from God:
It is time to switch questions. No longer ask “God, why did this happen?”. Instead ask, “God, how do I pray?”
It was a turning point. I will be honest; the switch did not come quickly. Sometimes, I still resort to the first question. But slowly I am learning to seek the guidance of the Lord on how to pray into the situation. Through this, He began taking me to Scriptures to specifically pray over each of the many difficulties we were facing. I compiled a list of over eighty promises. I wrote them on notecards. On extremely difficult days, I would just hold the cards up because I did not even have the emotional energy to pray aloud. But I wanted to show that I still believed the promises were true although my situations continued to spiral out of control.
And I want you to know that the prayers are still not answered. I am waiting. But I have learned to pray like I never knew before. And I wait in trust. Because unknowingly, when I asked God why the situations had happened, I was allowing myself to be open to doubting the goodness of God. Is this not as old as the Garden of Eden? The enemy wanted Eve to doubt God’s goodness, thus making decisions without Him. The enemy wanted me in my pain to resort to my own methods, avoiding prayer. Now, I trust that He allowed the enemy’s attack for a purpose. God does not want bad things to happen but allows them so goodness is achieved in the end.
One of the good things that have come out of the painful situations is that the difficulties taught me to pray. And I know the Lord’s prayer strategy is more powerful than the enemy’s orchestrated assault. And whatever the enemy comes against me with, I know the Lord can show me how to pray. Eventually, I will see the plans of the enemy defeated. God will have victory.
by Shannon Tillman | Aug 27, 2026 | Bible Study, Blog, Thoughts
I was frustrated in my prayer time. I reviewed the promises of God. Many of them started with the basic premise of “The Lord will….”. They were in future tense. I asked the Lord when His promises would become present tense, that I would finally experience the answers. Even better, when would the promises become past tense so that they are shared as a testimony to others. I was reminded again that the eternal God does not have to give me a time frame for answers. (even though each day I hope He does!) Although there is not a time given, there is a guarantee of the end result.
Proverbs 10:28
The hope of the righteous is joy…
Another version translates the verse this way:
Proverbs 10:28
The prospect of the righteous is joy…
At some point, the hope we have in the Lord to answer our prayer requests will lead to joy. It is a guarantee. I am reminded of Sarah and Abraham. They waited twenty-five years for a child of their own. The child was named Isaac which means laughter. They finally had their bundle of joy. The hope, the prospect of each of our prayers is the joy of the Lord. The promise is a guarantee, the answer is wrapped in joy, the results are beyond what we had hoped.
Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Your promise is a guaranteed future of joy. On those days that seem to drag on in time, hold onto the hope of what is to come. Joy!
by Shannon Tillman | Aug 20, 2026 | Bible Study, Blog, Thoughts
While on vacation, I decided to not put limits on myself in any way when it came to junk food. I gorged on ice cream, french fries, chips, soft pretzels, milkshakes, custard, and anything else that looked appetizing. Since coming home, all I want to eat is sugar and carbs. An apple was an enjoyment the week before my trip, now it looks like poison. My desires changed quickly and they are fighting against what I know I should eat but do not want at this moment. Munching on the good food is giving me a bad attitude.
I realize that spiritually there can be drastic changes in desire as well. How do we come back from a lack of passion for the things of God? I think it begins with acknowledgment. Too often, we go through the motions, keeping up pretenses instead of being honest with what is lacking within us. After we do recognize the dullness in our heart, we can begin taking steps toward the Lord again. Psalm 63 gives some insights on how to proceed.
Psalm 63:1
You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
First, acknowledge the relationship: “You are my God”. You are going beyond a formula or program to attach to the Lord, but recognizing that you are in a relationship with Him. Then, seek Him. This takes time and effort. It is prioritizing finding what seems lost. In reality, the Lord never leaves us but due to our own choices a distance may be felt. Seeking Him is choosing to set aside time just with the Lord, removing distractions and focusing on Him.
The seeking of God leads to the revelation of self. The psalmist, in this case David, uses the imagery of being thirsty for God. When we seek the Lord, we realize our need for Him and what is lacking in our lives. Too often, we have filled our time and energy with the “junk food” of the world: media, worry, shopping, hobbies, control, self-absorbed thinking, etc. But when we seek God, we realize that He is truly what we need and all the other desires are making us spiritually dehydrated. The things we thought were filling us are only part of the desert of this world and we need to be rescued.
Psalm 63:2
I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
Reminders of the spiritual experiences in our past, help us to regain the desire for connection now. Then, our hearts can once again connect. We are no longer going through the motions but engaging in a present tense relationship.
Psalm 63:4-5
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
The connection has been established. The healing of the heart is reflected by the words of praise on the lips. Outward demonstrations of spiritual connection are apparent, no longer going through the motions but actively engaging in worship.
Psalm 63:5
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
No more junk food here! Worship testifies that the soul is now feasting again on the ways of the Lord instead of being sickened by the things of this world. It all began with a moment of choice. Just like a physical diet starts with a decision so does a spiritual one. The choice must be made, to starve on the world or to feast on the Lord.
by Shannon Tillman | Jul 30, 2026 | Bible Study, Blog, Thoughts
I am extremely near-sighted. Eye charts are a blur. I am thankful for my contacts, but I would love to be able to just wake up with clear vision instead of fumbling around jabbing plastic into my eyes to help me see. However, if I was given the choice of natural sight or the ability to view the supernatural, I would quickly choose the latter. The thought of looking past the world around me into the heavenly realm is absolutely amazing! I believe in this possibility for there is a man in Scripture who had the opportunity to see God’s glory in the heavens even while experiencing violent opposition on earth.
Acts 6:8-15
Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke. Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
It was a bad day: false charges, arrest, court appearance, corrupt witnesses. However, Stephen did not let the events stop the truth. He preached the longest sermon recorded in the book of Acts. The message was compelling but at that time rejected.
Acts 7:54-56
When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
The Spirit in Stephen gave insight to him that others could not see. In the midst of his difficult circumstances, Stephen looked up and saw God’s glory. He looked beyond his situation into eternity. The Holy Spirit guided him in viewing what was taking place behind the natural into the supernatural.
When I heard this verse in a message recently, I was struck with the connection made between the fullness of the Spirit and seeing the glory of God. Stephen only saw God’s glory because he was Spirit-filled. This was in the midst of a difficult situation that ultimately turned deadly. Yet, Stephen looked and saw the Lord. Stephen was being led by the Spirit, not by his own desires, even though it would ultimately cost him his life.
If we are not seeing the Lord above our circumstances, could it be an indicator that we are not full of the Spirit? Maybe we are full of our own plans, our own opinions, our own desires, our own forms of control, our own pain, our own questions, our own bitterness, our own pride, our own justification, our own victimization. Instead of seeing God, we see a problem without Providence. When full of ourselves, we cannot look beyond what is going on to the One who is above it all. When we are full of the Spirit, the supernatural overtakes the natural and we can trust that God’s glory will be the ultimate good in the situation for ourselves and others.
Stephen experienced this, although he never saw the outcome. He was martyred that very day. However, one of the chief orchestrators of his death, a man named Saul, became the greatest champion of the gospel of Jesus. Saul, whose name was later changed to Paul, transformed the world with his evangelism and letters to the churches which now make up a bulk of the New Testament. I believe the beginning of Paul’s journey toward Jesus started when a Spirit-filled man named Stephen looked beyond his situation to behold the glory of God.
My prayer for us is for the Spirit of God to fill us today enabling us to see the world through the lens of the supernatural. How different would our view of life be if our focus was on the Lord and not on our circumstances? When our vision is full of God, we then can testify to others about the glory of God revealed to us. Hopefully, by God’s grace, others will then be transformed by the Lord as well. It starts with us choosing to be full of the Spirit, not full of ourselves. Then, we will truly see life clearly.
by Shannon Tillman | Jul 23, 2026 | Bible Study, Blog, Thoughts
I talk a lot. Words seem to constantly flow out of my mouth. And when there is a situation that I consider unfair, I have many thoughts to share with the Lord and others on the matter. I proclaim faith in my difficulties; however, I discovered from this verse in Isaiah what my words actually show, which is a shallowness in my trust in God.
Isaiah 53:7
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
This verse was a prophesy of the trial of Jesus. In the book of Matthew, we see the fulfillment:
Matthew 23:12-14
When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.
The most unjust situation in history was the mock trial and death sentence of Jesus. However, in the midst of these heinous acts, Jesus said nothing. He gave no word of defense. Why? He trusted God’s plan. Jesus knew that the Lord was completely sovereign over every event. He did not recoil from the difficulties. Instead, He embraced them for what they were, a divine orchestration of events, which though horrendous, were designed to bring about a greater good, the ultimate good, which was the salvation of people throughout the world and throughout time.
The words I speak in my unjust situations are a stark contrast to the silence of Jesus. Why? Because I do not trust God’s plan. I have opinions on how I think events should take place and how people should be handled. I dislike what I am experiencing and so my complaints to the Lord and others are the opportunity to vent my feelings. I am looking for a way out, not trusting the way through. While I believe God can work all things for good, I do not want to experience the bad to see the good God will orchestrate. I am not concerned about how others will benefit; I just want my pain to end.
My words show my wavering trust in the long term as I cry out for relief in the short term. The silence of Jesus showed a faith that was solid and focused on eternity. My complaints focus on myself. The silence showed the focus of Jesus on others, on me. Jesus stayed silent for me: to save me, to forgive me, to cleanse me. I need to now learn how to be silent to show my trust in Him.
