55. Can I manifest my way to Heaven? Trust in God's Providence instead

As popular as manifestation has become, the pursuit of our own plans can often leave us feeling exhausted, anxious, and disconnected from true peace. Instead, this episode explores what it means to find fulfillment and rest in God’s providence, letting His purpose unfold in our lives.

If you’ve ever felt worn out by constantly chasing your own vision of happiness, this episode is for you!

Personal Story:
I share my own experience of wrestling with manifestation—how doubts and self-reliance sometimes replaced faith. Yet, through it all, God’s Word reminded me of His unfailing love and perfect timing. We’ll discuss powerful Scriptures like Psalm 127:1 and Psalm 16:6 that re-centered my heart on His plan, freeing me from the pressure of “doing it all” on my own.

Main Topics:

1. The Appeal of Manifestation: Why it feels empowering, but how it often keeps us self-focused and disconnected from God’s peace.
2. The Hidden Burden of Self-Manifestation: Why relying on ourselves can lead to fear, guilt, and a sense of isolation.
3. God’s Alternative—Surrender and Trust:
• Examples from Scripture: Hannah, Paul, and Jesus, each showing how peace comes through trusting God’s perfect timing and purposes.
4. Practical Steps to Trust God Over Manifestation:
• Shifting from manifestation to prayer
• Cultivating discernment to recognize God’s guidance
• Finding peace in uncertainty, anchored in His promises

Invitation to Connect:

If you’re looking for support on this journey, I invite you to join my Facebook community, Curious for Christ. We’re a group of believers walking together, encouraging one another to find joy in God’s plan.

If you’re new to faith or simply curious, consider booking a free Discovery Call with me. You’re not alone on this path—there’s a reason you’re here, and I’d love to connect.


Key Scripture:

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, forever and ever! Amen.”

Thank you for joining today’s episode, and may God’s peace fill your heart as you trust in His plan.

Thanks for listening! Your support means the world. Join our Curious for Christ Facebook Group and become an Insider for weekly inspiration and encouragement.

Transcript

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Welcome back to curious for Christ today. I would like to dive into the difference between trying to manifest our perfect life and finding true peace when we surrender to God's plan. So, if you've ever felt worn out by constantly chasing your own vision of happiness, this episode is for you. And believe me, it is also for me. So we will talk about the appeal of manifestation. The hidden burden behind self manifestation that we don't talk about. God's alternative and then some practical steps to trust in God's provision. Instead. So let's dive in. Welcome to curious for Christ. Do you ever find yourself lying awake at night? Wondering about God's plan for your life. Maybe you wake up with big dreams, but feel unsure where to start or what your next step should be. If you're curious about exploring your faith and finding purpose, then you've come to the right place. Hi, I'm Monica, Sandra. I too felt lost unsure of the direction my life was taking. I yearned to understand my purpose and have someone guide me. But I kept telling myself I was too busy, the timing wasn't right. And my lack of clarity prevented me from being consistent until I found Christ. He brought peace into my life and we field the way to find purpose by anchoring myself. In him. In this podcast, we'll journey together, exploring the Bible to gain a deeper understanding of him. and cultivate your own personal relationship with Christ. So open up your Bible, put in those ear buds and listen up because God is speaking to you. He is making everything new and you don't want to miss it. Let's get started. So I have felt myself, the pull to manifest my desires. Especially when waiting on God feels endless and I'm in this season of waiting. So I really feel this at this moment. I start wandering is something missing in me is God waiting on me to make things happen. I'd see patterns in my life. And I question. If I had caused certain outcomes. And then when disappointment hits, I think, am I causing all this heartache? What less than am I missing? Is there another way around it? But these thoughts and doubts, leave me more fearful than it piece if I'm being honest, because I would start believing lies. God is not working. You need to do it yourself. What? Small steps can you start today? After all faith without deeds is debt. The Bible says, so. And this approach leaves me exhausted, guilty feeling ungrateful. Then I feel the pressure to perform and catch up all that waiting left me behind. But what I realize is that in trying to control everything, I actually stop trusting in the one who saves and left me. Also Psalm 1 27 verse one says, unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. And that reminds me that my own efforts without him. Leave me empty. Also Psalm 16, verse six speaks to God's intentional design for my life. The boundary lines have fallen for me. In pleasant places. So finding peace means letting go. Releasing my plans, my fears, and all of my emotions and feelings to God. And learning instead to fully trust his purpose and timing. So number one. Why the appeal of manifestation. Manifestation is attractive, to be honest, because it offers a sense of control. And this false promise of quick results. Also, we get to choose the outcome. We shape our own destiny or so we think through thoughts and energy. And all of this, what? It seems very spiritual. It keeps us really self-focused. It promotes our desires over God's. It also contains partial truth. such as the importance of mindset, but it misses the peace of aligning with God's will. Manifestation emphasizes, positive thinking and visualization to attract a desired outcome. And while a positive mindset is beneficial, it can lead also to self-reliance and pressure to achieve results. And in contrast Philippians four verses. Six and seven teaches us to present our request to God. And it promises that his peace. We'll guard our hearts and minds. Shifting our focus from self effort to divine trust. Number two. The hidden burden of self manifestation. To be honest, manifestation creates anxiety. It makes us believe that negative thoughts or mistakes could ruin our lives. It leads us to self blame. When things go wrong, it adds a burden of feeling solely responsible. And this approach also, sadly, but surely positions us. As our own God. Constantly striving to create a life without God's guidance or peace, leaving God outside of our own plans. And leaving us alone to create. It's a burden that we were not meant to carry. Which leads me to number three, Gaza alternative for us is surrender and trust. So I will share now three biblical examples of individuals who surrendered to God. And as a result, experienced peace. I always love to turn to the Bible for truth and support, because it is both helpful and hopeful to see how others have gone through similar experiences and how they navigated them. And to see the outcome. It brings me. Patients, it helps me to persevere. It helps me to continue to stay faithful to God instead of taking things into my own hands. So let's talk about Hannah. Hannah was heartbroken over her inability to have children. She endured years and years of sorrow and even mockery from others because she did not have that one thing. She desired that others had. She poured her heart out to God in prayer. And was able to fully surrender her desire for a child. It took her years. But she surrendered, she reached at point. And, in her prayer, she promised to dedicate her son to God. If you would bless her. But that's surrendered. Prayer was a turning point for her because after this. Anna. Had peace. She found peace in her surrender. She was no longer sad as we can read in first Samuel one verse 18. And she didn't have a child right away. She did not know that she would have a child, but she had peace. And God answered her prayer. And shortly after that surrender, God gave her son. Heard his name was Samuel and he became a great prophet. So we see that by surrendering her desire to God and I received both not only peace. But also fulfillment in his timing. Another example is Paul. The apostle Paul experienced great hardships. Including imprisonment, persecution and scarcity. And yet he learned to be content and peaceful by surrendering to God's will in every situation. And he wrote about it. He said, I have learned. To be content, whatever the circumstances I can do, all this. Through him who gives me strength. It's in Philippians four. Verses 11 through 13. And so we see that Paul's peace came from fully trusting in God's provision and strengths rather than his own circumstances. And then the ultimate example is Jesus as Christians. We have to look up to Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith. And Jesus demonstrated the ultimate surrender in the garden of get Semini before his crucifixion. He faced immense suffering. And, betrayal. He prayed father. If you're willing, take this cup from me, we can still be honest in our prayer and pray for what we want, but then he says yet, not my will, but yours be done. Luke 22 verse 42 Jesus surrendered to God's plan. And though he still faced the cross. What he did not want to face. An angel strengthened him. He experienced a peace that led him to willingly fulfill his purpose. Do you use this as surrender? Provides the ultimate example of finding peace in alignment with God's will. Each of these examples demonstrates how surrendering desires, plans, even personal suffering to God. Leads to a peace, a peace that goes beyond human understanding. We do need God to live our life the way we are meant to live it. So another way that I like to go back to the Bible is not only to look at examples of people, but also scripture references to help me with trust and surrender. Proverbs three verses five and six says. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean, not in your own understanding. Jeremiah 29 11 for, I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord plans not to harm you, but to give you hope and a future. And Matthew six verses 25 through 34. Is a call not to worry, but to seek God first and to trust his provision. So lastly, number four, practical steps on how to move from manifestation and a desire to control your destiny. To trusting God instead. So three things. Shift to prayer. Instead of focusing on manifesting your desires, praying that for God's guidance. And align your desires with his will. Number two discernment. Learn to recognize God's voice over your own by immersing yourself in scripture and being open to his plans. I have countless guests and speakers scholars. Authors. On this podcast that have dedicated their lives. Diving into scripture living it and. Led by God's spirit and the Bible. I have learned to discern. God's will. And so listen to the podcast. Also number three. I find peace in uncertainty. Embrace that God's timing and outcomes are often different, but always better than what we might try to manifest. And if you need help and support, I urge you to join my Facebook community. Curious for Christ. It's very important. That in this journey, you surround yourself with people who are in their Bible, who read their Bible, who live, out and follow what the Bible says. People who share the same face journey that you're on. And you're definitely not alone. And to be the allure of manifestation that we see today, it tells me that many people like you and I. Are seeking answers and peace. It's not an easy journey. And we do need all the encouragement that we can get from other believers to keep pressing on seeking God instead of taking life into our own hands. And if you're still uncertain about whether Christ is for you. I invite you to schedule a call with me a discovery call. Go now to B I T dot L Y forward slash curious for Christ discovery. It's bit dot L Y forward slash curious for Christ discovery. The link will be in the show notes. There's a reason you are here and listening right now. And I'm here for you. So, let me close with a prayer. Heavenly father. We come before you seeking peace and guidance. Asking for the strength to trust fully in you, rather than relying on our own abilities, help us to release our burdens and fears and the need for comparisons or specific outcomes. But instead to embrace your perfect will for our lives, sell our hearts with the assurance that you are in control and that your plans for us are good. Gave us the faith to lean on you in every situation and to find rest in your presence. Thank you for your love and your faithfulness. Thank you for your patience with us. And forgive us for our moments of doubts and our lack of belief. You are the only God above all gods. And I praise you for being such a powerful and incredible creator. And still mindful. Of us. Humans. Thank you. And in Jesus name, I pray. Amen. So, this is it for today. Remember that God's planned for us are infinitely better and more fulfilling than anything we could try to manifest. I will leave you with this scripture in Ephesians three, verses 20 and 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, forever and ever. A men. Hi, I hope you enjoy today's episode. If so, would you like to take 30 seconds and share it with a friend who may also struggle with knowing God and his purpose for their life? Also leave. A review on apple podcasts and let me know what topics you'd like to hear about in the future. Your voice matters. I'll meet you back next Friday for another episode.