Sometimes it seems as though all of our efforts are for nothing. We try and try and never seem to get ahead or even out of the pit. I have learned, mostly through failure, that at the point when you have absolutely done all that you can do, it is time to call on God to reach your reaching. When this happens to me, I follow this process, and have included an illustration of how it has worked for me:

Make absolutely certain that you have done all that you can do

I was a single mom living in San Diego and my children and I were living with our bishop and his family. I was trying desperately to find a place of our own. There was a very low vacancy rate on apartments and every application came with a $25 application fee. I had no car and was walking to every application and exhausting the few funds I had. I had done the work.

Have a conversation with God and let Him know what you have done

I was walking to work, which was a lovely 2-mile trek each day. I prayed every morning as I commuted. This particular morning, I explained in my prayer that I felt that I had done all that I could do. I actually itemized to him my efforts.

Ask with real intent for his intervention, believing that you have done what you could

I boldly asked for Him to reach my reaching on this issue. I explained to Him that this was a righteous desire and that I needed to have a place of my own with my family.

Move forwardwith faith that you will receive an answer

When I got to work, I sat for a few moments and opened the newspaper to the want ads. I prayerfully read the rentals and found the one I wanted. I called the number and my response brought me to tears. "I would just as soon skip the application process. If you can have the deposit to me by noon, it is yours." This man, my new landlord, did not know me from Adam. He had no idea of my character or circumstance. I can only believe with all my heart that it was divine intervention. I had the deposit to him and signed the papers at noon that day and moved in that evening.

Take a few moments and realize the power of prayer

I cried; I laughed; I praised God with my whole heart for what he had done. I shared the experience with my children, who also rejoiced and learned a valuable lesson.

Give thanks

We knelt in prayer and thanked our Father in Heaven for listening, understanding, and relieving us of our stress. We thanked Him for reaching our reaching. This might seem like the last step to restoring your faith, but it is not.

Continue to believe

Continue to believe that He hears you. All that He has is yours for the asking. He wants to give us the righteous desires of our hearts, but he also wants to know that we are spiritually confident enough to ask and that we believe we will receive.

If you have had a similar experience, you are ready to move on and live an amazing life, knowing that He hears your prayers and knows your needs. It is important to keep strengthening your faith.