To a large extent, I believe our faith in God is a consequence, or fruit, of experience. Quite a few years ago, I made a financial investment in a small business, and it began to require more to stay afloat. And it still didn't do well, and then more was required, and it became a terrible economic threat. I remember having to go before the Lord with nowhere else to turn and, in tears and pleading, to seek for anything that He would provide in His love and wisdom. What I learned in that process was what it's like to come to a point in your life where you really have nowhere to turn but to God. And in those circumstances, one truly learns how to pray and how to receive the answers that come. Sometimes it was nothing more than a feeling that things would work out somehow--no indication of how or when, but it would be all right. Sometimes it was an idea that would make a difference. And so it became, during portions of this experience, a matter of getting the manna for that day--the help that could only come from Him, from God, for the moment. Not the long term, just the immediate need. I think what we have to do, when the pressures are there and the clouds are dark and threatening, is take a day at a time. It helps at times not to think too far ahead and just do what the day requires. "Give us this day our daily bread." We are not anticipating the hardship or suffering that might be entailed. We sometimes just have to break it down to this moment, this day. And while deliverance isn't immediate and you may not see the end, still, you've got enough for today. When this began happening in my life, my prayer was, "Give me a miracle," you know? "Solve this problem." And it took a while to finally come to the point of saying, "I'm content to get a daily help and let it take what time it takes, knowing that I can rely upon God." And it's been a blessing to me ever since to have had that rather harrowing experience because of what it meant for my relationship with Him. Maybe the greater blessing for us is to have to walk through it with Him.