The Answer to Prayer I Didn’t Want… But Needed

Have you ever prayed for something—clarity, healing, change—and then realized the answer you got was not what you expected… or wanted? Maybe it stretched you, humbled you, or forced you to face something uncomfortable. In this episode of Imagine Yourself, Lanée Blaise and Sandy Kovach get honest about those surprising moments when God answers our prayers in the exact way we need, not the way we asked.

Sometimes the lesson comes wrapped in irony. Sometimes it stings. But often, on the other side, we find healing, clarity, and peace.

Inside the Episode

• God’s answers don’t always match our expectations. Prayer isn’t a wish list—it’s a relationship that shapes us.
• Uncomfortable experiences can reveal what needs to change inside us. Sandy shares how her own prayer about judgment led to a very unexpected (and humbling) answer.
• Obedience and distraction are real struggles. Lanée opens up about moments when God’s answer required more trust than she was ready for.
• Silence creates space for clarity. Sometimes the most productive thing we can do is put the phone down and sit quietly in God’s presence.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated or discouraged by unanswered prayers—or prayers answered in unwanted ways—this episode offers encouragement, hope, and a reminder that God sees the bigger picture.

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"Imagine Yourself" is hosted by Lanée Blaise and Sandy Kovach—two dynamic voices with a passion for inspiring and uplifting others. Lanée, a TV writer, producer, motivational speaker, and podcaster, brings powerful storytelling and insight. Sandy, a radio personality, voiceover artist, and podcaster, delivers warmth and wisdom with every conversation. Broadcasting from the Detroit Metro area, they welcome guests from around the world to share valuable perspectives on health, career growth, faith, and personal transformation. Tune in and imagine the possibilities for your life!

Transcript

Lanée Blaise [00:00:01]:
Hello, everybody. Thank you for joining us again at Imagine Yourself Podcast. Please make sure that you subscribe to the podcast and so that you can really just hone in on all of the latest episodes that we have today. Sandy and I are going to go a little more deep and personal than we usually do. I mean, we always go into things pretty good, but this one, it kind of builds on the last episode we had. We had Kelly Sheldon, and she talked about how to hear from God, and we had such an overwhelmingly wonderful response. So many people really wanted to dig in on how to hear from God, how to talk to God, how to let God lead their lives. And we're not going to duplicate that right now.

Lanée Blaise [00:00:51]:
We're going to go a step further. God doesn't always just do the most straightforward line item way of doing life. Many times we have situations, you know, where God will put something unexpected on you, you know, and we don't want to forget. God really does answer prayers, but God is not a genie. God is our Lord, not the other way around. And so many times the answered prayers end up coming out in ways that we didn't expect. And. And if we're honest with ourselves, sometimes it's ways we didn't even want it to turn out.

Lanée Blaise [00:01:31]:
Hindsight is 20 20, so later on we may look back and say, oh, wow, that was exactly what I needed in my life from God. And God knew that because of his higher ways. But I certainly did not feel like that at the time. So all this to say, you know, I just wanted to kind of, kind of ease everyone into the fact that even though God is good and God is great and God is wonderful, there's a difference sometimes in the way that we think things should go. And so Sandy and I are gonna talk about some of the things that God has said to us or nudged us or allowed for us or answered our prayers. And I think I'm just gonna let Sandy take it away.

Sandy Kovach  [00:02:15]:
It's so funny. I was thinking about a song, and I'm not really much of a country music person, but there was one song, and I think it was Garth Brooks. Thank God for Unanswered Prayers. You kind of get the Dr. And he talks about his situation where he used to have a crush on some girl and he's prayed to marry her, but he's so glad it didn't turn out he married his current wife. And we get it, you know, we've all been there, we've all had prayers that we're glad that God didn't answer but sometimes we have prayers that we wish he had answered a different way. And it is not until, like you said, hindsight later on that you're like, okay, I get it. So I was in Bible study a couple of weeks ago, and I brought up a prayer that he answered that had actually, I felt like even though the net positive was greater than the negative, I always leaned on the negative to the answer of this prayer.

Sandy Kovach  [00:03:12]:
And we've talked about it on the podcast before. And in fact, you know, since you make movies now, I absolutely will call on you again to make this answer to prayer into a movie. It's the 48 Hour Prayer Answer thingy. I don't know what you'd call it. You come up with a title. But basically, I prayed very sincerely and out of a lot of frustration that I would stop being so judgmental, I must have been going through an extra period of judgmental. We all can get that way sometimes. But God says in the Bible, remove the speck in your own eye.

Sandy Kovach  [00:03:45]:
And I was judging really stupid things too, right? Petty judgment. That's what I think irritated me about it so much. So I prayed that prayer. Didn't really think anything of it. And then I ran into a friend who had been out partying and said, oh, I have a hangover, and blah, blah, blah. You know, this is when I'm kind of over the whole party thing and I'm thinking, well, if you didn't go out and drink, you wouldn't have a hangover. And I really judgmental, no empathy, no, like, you know, I've been there in the past, but I don't do that. It was just absolute judgment.

Sandy Kovach  [00:04:20]:
So within 48 hours, I was hanging out with somebody, had a couple glasses of wine, didn't really drink a lot or so I thought, and I felt horrible the next day. And God kind of brought that to my attention. I'm like, okay. And then, I don't know, a few days later, it's another judgment. And I can't remember why I was judging this person for being ill. Hangover, okay. But maybe I disapproved of. They were burning the candle at both ends or they were doing something that I clearly disapproved of.

Sandy Kovach  [00:04:52]:
And I'm thinking, as they're telling me, yeah, I have a sore throat and I'm getting sick. And I'm thinking, yeah, well, if you didn't do X, Y, and Z, maybe. And what of course, happened to me is that I got sick. And there was one other thing, and I can't remember it for whatever reason. So that was an absolute true fact. And I got the message from God that. That now I'm afraid to judge people because retribution, it's coming. Well, I wouldn't call it retribution, but it's coming around the corner if I judge on it.

Sandy Kovach  [00:05:22]:
So I pretty much always catch myself. But I always hated that. Cause now I feel like. I mean, it's good not to judge at all, but sometimes I go overboard. And the other part of that is it kind of blocked me from really wanting to surrender things to God because I thought he'll use some really weird way to teach me a lesson. And it might. You know, that was really pretty mild when you think about it. A hangover and getting sick.

Lanée Blaise [00:05:50]:
But it could have gotten worse.

Sandy Kovach  [00:05:52]:
Yeah, yeah.

Lanée Blaise [00:05:54]:
What if you had judged someone for driving a little reckless, and then 48 hours you find yourself in a car accident because you were not paying attention to or. Yeah, this would make for a perfect movie. Can you imagine? Not only a perfect movie, but now I almost wish, but I'm kind of scared to wish. Like, what if Just like, yeah, if this happened to all of us all the time, like, it would really nip that judgment stuff in the bud for all humans.

Sandy Kovach  [00:06:20]:
That's true. That's true. Yeah. I don't know.

Lanée Blaise [00:06:22]:
No one was exempt. You know, you go around, you look down, you turn your nose at somebody else's choices for doing whatever they're doing, and. And then you find yourself in a either identical or similar situation 48 hours later and boom, it bites you right in the butt.

Sandy Kovach  [00:06:40]:
Yeah. I wonder how many times it would take the average person to stop doing what they were doing. It took me three, so, I don't know, could have taken me more.

Lanée Blaise [00:06:51]:
Some people really, they really just are in the habit of judging. They can't just seem to shake it. And to your point, I guess that is an interesting one because, oh, many moons ago, this was back when I was in my freshman year of college. I have a wonderful friend, and she had this boyfriend, and they kind of were on again, off again. I told her, you know, that he does abcdefg. You need to just get rid of him. I'm not gonna speak to you at all until you break up with him. I mean, come on, that's crazy.

Lanée Blaise [00:07:27]:
I was 17 and a half years old, my little young self, acting like I was her mom or something. I don't know what I thought I was doing. And it took several years later, maybe four years later, when I got a boyfriend who had a B, C D, E, F, G, H, I and J. Wrong with him. And I knew that he had these things wrong with them. And my other friend, a different friend, told me, you see all these things before you. But she did not come down with me on the. I'm not going to speak with you.

Lanée Blaise [00:07:57]:
I had to learn, though, that it was in my timing when I had really had enough and I was fed up that I went ahead and ended it. But even, Even then. How about then? Said even then. Sandy. I prayed to God, dear God, please let him break up with me, because it seems like I don't have enough strength to break up with him. And sure enough, boom, he broke up with me. And I was so happy.

Sandy Kovach  [00:08:18]:
Wow. Wow.

Lanée Blaise [00:08:20]:
But that judgment thing.

Sandy Kovach  [00:08:21]:
Yeah.

Lanée Blaise [00:08:21]:
So it really. I don't know. Sometimes we as humans think that we have a rightful. Like a rightfulness. That's not a word.

Sandy Kovach  [00:08:30]:
But we're righteousness.

Lanée Blaise [00:08:32]:
Righteousness.

Sandy Kovach  [00:08:32]:
Not a good kind of righteousness.

Lanée Blaise [00:08:34]:
Yeah. But a bad one. Like it's rightful for us to go ahead and judge this person because we know better and they should know better. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. It's just. It's a no go. So all this gosh. Yeah, that.

Lanée Blaise [00:08:47]:
That's. That's a answered prayer.

Sandy Kovach  [00:08:50]:
That was a long time ago. So it got brought up again to me. And since our last episode, I've been thinking a lot about hearing from God in different ways. Or since we redid the Kelly Shelton episode. When she's talking about. It's not always audible voice. Well, this was through circumstances and then somewhat of speaking to my heart because it had to tie in. This all sort of came to a head for me.

Sandy Kovach  [00:09:14]:
Thinking of the dream and how God or not the dream. Thinking of the judgment thing and how God does really answer prayers. You just might not like the way he does it. And the fact that I need to surrender and be okay with whatever happens. I'm really in much more of a place of surrender now than I've ever been. I feel like those walls are coming down. Like, oh my gosh, if I totally surrender, what weird thing are you gonna do? God, no, don't be afraid. But.

Lanée Blaise [00:09:41]:
Don't be afraid. But I guess also to manage your expectations still, again, it's all about like just starting to like, go ahead and embrace the aspect that God many times does things unexpected. But I'm even gonna add ironic, like some of the things that God does when you pray. It's like an irony to it. It's like, okay, I lately had been praying for more time With God, more smoothness in my life. So slowing down, having things just go well, go smoothly, go slowly in my life instead of hustle, bustle, hectic, hectic, rush, rush, where I would make errors along the way. The irony is that it seemed like after that prayer, more things came at me and I'm like, wait a second, I'm praying to God for more time with you. As it turns out, I'll go ahead, give a little bit of a spoiler alert.

Lanée Blaise [00:10:43]:
As it turns out, there was a secret to things slowing down, and the secret was obeying God in the moment. I was laying in bed one night and praying like God. This whole day was so busy, so hectic, so frustrating. I asked for things to slow down. I asked for you to take some things off of my plate. Seems like more things, good things too, piled up on my plate and I just can't handle this. And I'm so frustrated and I really just, you know, if I could get these things off my plate, I could spend more time with you. And God said, okay, go ahead and get this good rest and in the morning, let's spend some morning time together.

Lanée Blaise [00:11:24]:
So I sleep well, I wake up in the morning and I'm about to reach for my cell phone and God is kind of like, excuse me, I thought we talked about this and you were going to begin your mornings spending time with me. And there's a term that I use called going within. And when I say go within, there's a process that I have done for at least the past 10 years where I. I don't want to say imagine myself, but for now I'll use that. It's like I imagine myself or I see myself visually taking my regular linnae personality and my linnae spirit or soul and going deep inside of my own heart. And I sit in there with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. So there is this in the cavity of my heart. There's like room sitting there for God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Lynae's regular old personality, self, and Lynae's nice soul, spirit, self.

Lanée Blaise [00:12:30]:
And God is calling me to go within. And I'm like, I just gotta check my phone real quick first. And God is like, but I thought this was your prayer. So I'm like, okay, okay, okay, okay. I won't check the phone. Let me go within. This is in the early morning. God is like the best time, you know, while you're still in bed before everything gets jumping sandy.

Lanée Blaise [00:12:54]:
I go within and I'm inside my heart. And then within 10 seconds I am asleep, I am snoring. I have totally missed the assignment. I am knocked out. And then I wake up like 30 minutes to an hour later, and I'm like, okay, God, okay, I can go within now. And then my phone is dead, dinging and buzzing, and my. My daughter's call. So this is a me problem.

Lanée Blaise [00:13:24]:
This is a me situation. It is not having the ability to listen to God, to surrender, to go within, to take time with him. So my answer prayer of everything slowing down has been derailed, at least for now, because the next message that followed was, more God, less world. More time with God, less world. Leave that phone behind. There's. There was a movie a couple years ago called Leave the World behind, you know, with Julia Roberts in it. But really, really focusing on Leave the world behind just for those few moments.

Lanée Blaise [00:14:02]:
And when I do that, which I have started to just, you know, again, spoiler alert. I have started doing that lately, honestly and truly, things have smoothed down, calmed down. I have a sense of peace when I start my day by going within. God has told me this is the most productive time of the day for you. This going within, it's setting the tone. It's centering you in a way where everything will go so much smoother, cleaner, easier, because you obeyed and your prayer now will be answered. Wow. Yeah.

Lanée Blaise [00:14:40]:
That's a long way of saying how God can do things very with. With a lot of irony.

Sandy Kovach  [00:14:46]:
So the irony is the first time you tried it, you fell asleep, but you were obedient. Right. You did it and did that open the door for then the following times when you tried it.

Lanée Blaise [00:14:58]:
Yeah, because remember, the first time, I wasn't really obedient. I really wanted to grab that phone. I really just wanted to check my grocery list or check my text message or make sure, like, who is like, it's like five in the morning. There's nothing on that phone that I really need to check that badly at that time. So there was this resistance, a reluctance, a sort of a disobedience, at least within my heart with the, you know, the way that I was looking at it. So that was the start. The second one was my heart was going to finally be in the right place and I was going to do it, but then I fell asleep. Hardcore sleep.

Lanée Blaise [00:15:30]:
And, you know, God forgives, you know, so there's that. And then. Oh, kind of like you with the third. The third time was the charm, you know, but that third time, it was like, okay, now I actually am going to take this time in the morning before the hustle and bustle. Before I touch my cell phone, I'm going to obey God. I'm going to go within, even if it's for a few minutes, get my mind, body, spirit centered, and then my prayer is answered. The rest of my day, it's like I'm more focused, I'm sharper, I think of things that will help make sure things go well. Because, you know, like, sometimes if you, if you're a little foggy or you're kind of all over the place, then the plans that you have are likely going to end up all over the place.

Lanée Blaise [00:16:15]:
You're going to miss details, you're going to end up having to retrace your steps and do things over again because you didn't get it right the first time. This just makes life so much smoother and better. And the fact that I'm leaving the world behind more and focusing on God's way more, it makes everything better. And even that part about the most productive thing you can be doing is laying in bed, sitting in the presence of God.

Sandy Kovach  [00:16:45]:
Yeah. And giving it all to him. And you're trusting him. The famous scripture, Proverbs 3, 5. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And don't depend on your own understanding because your own understanding, it's like subpar. As we've said on the podcast before, it's the way the ant might try to do an algebra problem and not gonna happen. Of course, I can't do an algebra problem either.

Sandy Kovach  [00:17:09]:
Maybe that's not a bad. That's not a good example. At one time I used to be able to do, I mean, God's ways are so much higher. And you said that. And as you were saying that story or telling that story, I got this conviction about my phone because it used to be I would get up and the first thing I would look at on my phone is my Bible app. And I would do my reading, the whole thing with my cat coming over and I have my coffee and it was my moment. But lately, yeah, sure, I'll go on the Bible app, but it's usually after I check my email, after, you know, maybe even go on social media, which is terrible, which can lead you down a billion rabbit holes. And I looked at my, you know, I'm supposed to be done with my Bible study and up to my studio by 5:30.

Sandy Kovach  [00:17:55]:
I looked at my thing and it was like, it might have been even this morning if it wasn't. It was very recently I looked at my phone. It was 5:25 and I had not opened my Bible app. Now, come on.

Lanée Blaise [00:18:07]:
See, this is the other part, Sandy, with that whole leave the world behind when you said that scripture verse from Proverbs on, you know, trust in God and lean not into your own understanding. I almost want to put a footnote there and say, like, also don't lean into the understanding of the world because when you're looking at social media or reading some kind of little book or checking for other people's emails or what they're texting you and sending you, it can get you in a mode of what does the world want or need or think? And that's what I'm going to cater to. I'm going to start my day by catering to someone else's needs or wishes through whatever email or text or social media post that they have. And you never got that opportunity to start your day by leaning into God's ways and God's understandings, going past not your own understanding, not what the world says is the way, but God's way. Yeah, and I'll tell you this one. Here's another one. When I get centered like that and go within and have the answered prayer of my day going better, God taught me another term and this is that part kind of like what Kelly Sheldon said. When there are phrases that God uses that are biblical but they're not the way we talk.

Lanée Blaise [00:19:36]:
God said, I want you linnae to be in a practice of constant listening to me. So I know like Thessalonians says, you know, pray without ceasing, but this is like a version of that. God said, lynae, I want you to be be in the practice of constant listening to me and for me. And so again, if I'm about to turn in my script to a production company, but I have gotten myself centered and I pause and I say, let me just listen for God. Every single time there's something like God says, whispers almost like, don't forget you were supposed to answer back this one part of the email. Or don't forget to include your one sheet with it. Or don't forget, you know, the. Oh, shoot, yeah, let me go ahead and put that in there.

Lanée Blaise [00:20:31]:
And then sometimes now I'll even say a little prayer. Dear God, is this good? Yes, hit send and send it off and pray over that email and where it will that it will be received well, that it will help, you know, develop my career, that if these are even the right people to be working with, that I will. If they're not, that I won't. It'll shut that Door, which is another answer prayer too. You know, sometimes we want God to shut doors on things and folks that are not for us.

Sandy Kovach  [00:20:59]:
Yeah. Because even things that can look good are not the right door. And only God is going to know that things can look very good on the outside and in the world. And touching on social media a little bit, it's worse than ever now because there's so much fake stuff, fake AI stuff online right now. It's just there to get you to click and get you whipped up. And I've never seen it like this. It's so frustrating. And some people, I wonder, do people know that this stuff is fake? I certainly hope so.

Lanée Blaise [00:21:30]:
But if they have kids that are teenagers, they might, because my kids will be like, mom, you don't see this, you don't see that. And my husband even said now that there are some posts that are nice enough to put this little. It almost looks like a little ghost that's kind of like floating around in the side of the post. It's. It's very subtle, but it's giving you the indication that we are being transparent that this was done through AI. Yeah, but you know, but some of them don't. It's just. Let alone the fact, Sandy, that's not even getting to the point of the things that they use on psychological research to make sure that you'll keep watching, that you'll keep clicking, that you'll click to the next one and that it's keeping you.

Lanée Blaise [00:22:12]:
You know, they know how the mind and the brain works and they're kind of using it against us to keep us engaged in something when we really have better things we need to do. All because you and I were talking. Yeah. All because they're trying to get advertise.

Sandy Kovach  [00:22:27]:
That's to click on the advertising. Yeah. I mean, and there's nothing wrong. Again, there's nothing wrong with social media in small doses. There's nothing wrong with buying something you see on Instagram. But some of it is. Okay, let me just take a quick example. I don't wanna go on a big tangent, but a couple weeks ago when the Lions lost to Kansas City and there was all this controversy about Kansas City not getting any penalties.

Sandy Kovach  [00:22:52]:
And I know I even made a meme, you know, along with everybody else, I was getting whipped up about it. Cause it was crazy. Right. The cliche is that Kansas City is paying the refs. And I don't literally believe that's a conspiracy, but I do think, come on.

Lanée Blaise [00:23:05]:
There was something about that game with those folks yes.

Sandy Kovach  [00:23:08]:
So I saw as soon as I started clicking on stories and it got into my algorithm, and this is Facebook, not Instagram, I started getting these fake posts, like, Dan Campbell, the coach of the Lions, is gonna sue the NFL. Stuff like that. Ridiculous. And it was these Facebook fan, Lions fan accounts. And then they would have a link to stories. I never clicked on the link, but anybody can make these things and make websites with these fake news things. And I just thought, well, can't somebody stop that? Isn't. I mean, Dan Campbell, can't he or the Lions, can't anybody do anything? Or is it so prevalent that you can just make up crap and put it on the website for people to click on your site and maybe click on an ad? Yep.

Lanée Blaise [00:23:55]:
This is the part where even if it's just a portion of your day that you leave the world behind and you, like, almost say it to yourself, because this world is just getting more and more interesting and complex, and we don't want to get entangled in it and forget ourselves and forget our souls and forget our God. You and I were talking earlier, and there was this thought of the world says perform. God says presence. And we want to focus on savoring the presence of God, even savoring me time. I remember when me time was like, the thing to concentrate on. And a lot of people don't have enough me time because they are hooked. They are deep into TikTok. And again, let me, you know, not be judgmental because then I'll end up.

Sandy Kovach  [00:24:51]:
You'll be on Tick Tock.

Lanée Blaise [00:24:52]:
Yeah.

Sandy Kovach  [00:24:52]:
Three days straight, you know, and there's literally, you know.

Lanée Blaise [00:24:54]:
Yeah. Trying to go ask Dan Campbell why he wants to see the lines, you know, or buying some, I don't know, dinosaur fossil bone that supposedly came from. From one of the Jurassic periods. That's fake. Like, I don't want that to happen to me. So I don't. I don't want to get judgmental on it, but I do want to caution myself and you and anyone listening to just really stop, sometimes just full stop and say, dear God, I want to pray that I am able to choose your presence over the world's performance and see what God does. See how God and be ready for him to answer that prayer in a interesting way.

Sandy Kovach  [00:25:44]:
Yeah. God is the way he drops things on people and he's spoken. He speaks a lot to people's heart. And like you said, you're in a state of constant listening, and sometimes you'll just get a feeling, I need to go in this direction instead of going in that direction or, you know, I've had times when I've been doing a radio break and this is on the Christian station. It's never happened, I don't think, on my other stations. But just don't say that I had to edit a break. It was like, take that piece out. Because he probably knew there's somebody that's not going to like that little piece.

Sandy Kovach  [00:26:17]:
Not that there was anything wrong or not biblical, but sometimes you just don't want to say certain things, and it's better not to say things. Remember, a lot of the power of life and death is in our tongue, is in our speech. So while we are practicing that, whether it's a comment on social media or whether it's something we say on the radio or to a friend or on a podcast, sometimes it's better not to.

Lanée Blaise [00:26:43]:
That is another thing that is so important, especially nowadays. We have gotten messages from the world all throughout our lives. So you and I are Gen X, but we used to get. I remember growing up with Linnae, if you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all, you know, and that I. I like that. And then I also. There have been times in this world where it's like, if you don't speak out against injustices and you remain silent, that's no good either. That's doing a disservice.

Lanée Blaise [00:27:18]:
And then there's the part where some people don't want you to be talking about God or religion too much. And so you try to tamp that down. But the biggest indicator to me still is, is when we are in that process of constant listening to God and for God, we'll start to be able to distinguish between when do we keep our mouth closed and when do we speak up and speak out, when do we act like the people did back in the New Testament? Early in the New Testament, when they knew that people did not want to hear about Jesus or God and they went ahead and spoke out anyway and try to preach the good news. We just have to know that balance. And also God will know people's hearts. God may have known that what you were saying is not that you were going to say anything bad on that radio show, on that segment, but that it was going to hit a vulnerable person in the wrong way at the wrong timing. And that's not what God wanted, because it's not just about us. It's about.

Lanée Blaise [00:28:25]:
About all of his other children as well. It is. And we just really got to get back to that as A society. I don't want to just be able to say whatever I want to say knowing that it's hurting other people, knowing that it's not being said in truth, it's not helpful, it's not necessary. It's not intelligent, it's not kind. That's that little thing.

Sandy Kovach  [00:28:46]:
Thank you.

Lanée Blaise [00:28:47]:
Yeah. I really want to make sure that it's doing those things. And that is biblical, and that is important, and that is kind and humane.

Sandy Kovach  [00:28:56]:
Absolutely. So Romans 12:18 says, do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. That was my actual daily light this morning on my station, and I'm gonna read what I said about that. Some days this verse feels impossible because people. Well, they're people. They could cut you off in traffic. They could be snarky online. They could be pushing your buttons.

Sandy Kovach  [00:29:22]:
And yet God tells us, do all that you can. Not to fix everyone. Not necessarily to get everyone to like you, not to pretend that everything's fine when it isn't. Just do what you can. Sometimes that means speaking up with kindness. Sometimes it means choosing silence over a comeback. Sometimes it means walking away and letting God handle it. We can't control how others respond, but we can control whether we bring peace into the room or.

Sandy Kovach  [00:29:51]:
Or add fuel to the fire. So I think notwithstanding, sometimes you said we have to speak up when there's a justice issue or speak up for other people. But if it's just like a conflict, we don't have to stir the pot. We don't have to jump in and get our 2 cents. We let God take care of it. So hearing from God in a constant way will help us to know when to just walk away and when to say something. Right?

Lanée Blaise [00:30:23]:
Yeah. And that's in with the public, that's on social media comments. That's with our loved ones around us. That is across the board.

Sandy Kovach  [00:30:33]:
Yeah. So being in peace with as many people as you can when it's possible. And I almost feel like. And I'm not a big conspiracy theory person, but I almost feel like social media, and I don't know what exactly is behind this. You can say it's supernatural, you can say it's our enemies in this world or whatever, but they are doing their best to tear us apart as a society. And I feel like it's working.

Lanée Blaise [00:30:59]:
We can right the ship. We can turn things around. That's where there's hope. I do have hope that we really take all these things that we've been talking about and really sit with them and really, you know, examine ourselves. Let God examine our hearts. You know, like, search my heart and let me know, dear God, where I can do things in a better way. That's the whole purpose in Imagine Yourself podcast is we are trying to imagine a world better. We're trying to imagine ourselves better.

Lanée Blaise [00:31:30]:
And when I say better, like more peaceful, more loving, more hope filled, more faith filled. Those fruits of the spirits, gentleness, faithfulness, kindness, goodness, hope. Hope is not one of them. Peace, joy, love, self control.

Sandy Kovach  [00:31:49]:
There it is.

Lanée Blaise [00:31:50]:
Patience. Self control and patience. But yes.

Sandy Kovach  [00:31:54]:
So circling back to where we started, and that is hearing from God and answering prayers. And we talked about how God answered your prayer and taught you obedience. And I'm thinking about how God answered my prayer in a weird way that years later, it's once again teaching me how to surrender. And the bottom line is just trusting him and having faith in him. But it can be so hard if we're wanting something so badly and it's not coming through for us and we can't see it in the moment. What would you say to encourage people who might be in a situation like that? They're praying for something and they've been praying for it.

Lanée Blaise [00:32:36]:
That's one of the hardest questions of all. That question of why, if I'm praying for something that is good and that will be so helpful and blossoming, do I not see it happening now? Or sometimes I might go my whole life and I never got to see it? The only answer back to that is not a fun one, but it's trust. It's trusting that God has a plan, has things laid out that are higher than we would even know, because God sees the entire picture. And that while we're in that space, we are allowed to fully grieve or be frustrated with the fact like that did not happen. And it's not like that ship has sailed. It's not going to happen. And so after you give yourself that time to kind of like grieve over it or process it, then to ask God, okay, what do you have for me? How do I get on the path with a cheerful heart and stay on your path and do it your way? How do you hold my hand and get me through these next steps? That is the way this life is set up. I just hate to say it.

Lanée Blaise [00:34:01]:
It's like in the show Blended that we did, the TV show, there was a section where the pastor tells the young man who is grieving over such a sad situation that he was just praying wouldn't be the case. And he said, but I thought God didn't give us more than we could bear. And the pastor says, life gives you more than you can bear. God is the one who is beside you and walks you through it when life has given you more than you can bear.

Sandy Kovach  [00:34:32]:
Wow.

Lanée Blaise [00:34:33]:
And that's the way that we see it, because we are promised that there is heaven, that there will even actually be a new heaven and a new earth. We are promised that there is now and there is later. And that later part is where everything is full of God and joy and beauty and harmony. But we are not in that place right now. And we, again, have to manage our expectations that there will be times where we will trudge through this life with our face kind of crunched up and our teeth, you know, kind of grit, grit, and bear it, but that we will. We pray that some of those things are temporary and we will be even in while we're alive. We get to see some other sides to life. But yet, that is the hardest question, because you're like God, I know that you are able to change it and make it totally different.

Lanée Blaise [00:35:29]:
And we're allowed to say, why don't you? We're allowed to say, please do change it. But we also have to trust when the prayers are answered in ways that we did not expect, did not want.

Sandy Kovach  [00:35:43]:
And sometimes, like you said, we will see in this lifetime and we'll be able to go back 20 years later and say, okay, maybe it's not 20 years, but however many years later in my case, and say, okay, double blessing on that prayer you answered. Because now, well, not only is it a story that I tell people, and as much as I don't like the way he answered it, it showed me 100% that, yep. That God is real. I mean, I know that people, if you've made it this far in this podcast, you believe in God, right? So I'm not saying anything, but some people don't. And all of us, all of us, I can say, have doubts, right. At times. We let the enemy creep in or something will happen. I'm not saying we constantly haven't, but everybody now and again will get a doubt.

Sandy Kovach  [00:36:37]:
And that for me is like, yep, God is real. That happened. I lived it. Sure, you can say that's a coincidence, but that's a pretty weird coincidence. I don't. Yeah, coincidences are God being anonymous, right?

Lanée Blaise [00:36:51]:
It is. And it's also still a great movie concept.

Sandy Kovach  [00:36:54]:
Yeah, I'm waiting for the movie. I'm waiting for. I'm waiting for the blended production team or rekindled for Christmas Production team after you do all your other movies.

Lanée Blaise [00:37:05]:
Yes. To come back in there because I feel like that's very impactful, especially again, the way this country is right now, that people love to just spout crazy stuff, especially on social media. Like that part, you know, you're behind a keyboard, you're behind a screen, nobody can see you. And then if you find yourself in a similar situation, you would have wanted someone to have grace with you instead of judgment.

Sandy Kovach  [00:37:31]:
Yeah. Ask yourself when you're about to judge, when's the last time that I want a grace for something, even if it's not anything similar. Sometimes you won't be going through those things. A lot of times you won't. But I betcha you've screwed up something or something's happened to you. That life. Right. Life is life and life is life.

Lanée Blaise [00:37:50]:
And yes, yes. And a lot of people are feeling that right now. A lot of people to your point are saying, God, why don't you just like kind of just, I don't want to say a magic wand, but just swoop over and just make everything better, different. Also in the Bible, even there were times where Pharaoh why didn't God soften his heart? Why did God allow his heart to stay hardened? Well, as we know now, it was part of the whole process of showing God's ability to take the Israelites out of Egypt, to get them to open up the Red Sea. You know, what a miracle, what a huge spectacular show of God's power that we are talking about thousands and thousands and thousands of years later. There are higher components at play. And you know, we don't. God doesn't say that we have to like it, but God does encourage us to keep coming, to be in God's presence, to try to get some of those answers and get some of that comfort to get through.

Sandy Kovach  [00:39:02]:
Yeah, because like you said, especially now, there are some real fears and some legitimate ones that are going on. But that's the, the time that we most, I guess, need to trust God, that we most need to rely on the fact that he has a plan and that he is good and to.

Lanée Blaise [00:39:21]:
Go directly to him. Because again, even people of influence, people in power, people that love God also sometimes God will use them to help give you answers. But it is really wonderful when you go directly to the source. To the source. Capital T. The source.

Sandy Kovach  [00:39:41]:
The source. And we get a lot of wisdom. Of course, the scriptures are the main place that we get our communication from God. But when we spend time with him, go within, as you say, he helps Bring those scriptures and those words alive. And many times he uses them. And that's why, too, hiding scripture in your heart is so important. Like me. And always Romans 8:28, or Psalm 23 or whatever it is to have that.

Lanée Blaise [00:40:08]:
Romans 8:28. God is really trying to make sure you understand that. Cause every time, like you said, you look at a clock, the time is 8:28, you know, and just God is really. God is really trying to make sure you notice that and that God knows that, you know, that you notice him.

Sandy Kovach  [00:40:26]:
Yeah. You know, obviously it doesn't happen as much anymore, and it doesn't happen all the time. But I tell you what, still just in those situations, at the right time, I will glance down at my phone and it'll be 8:20. Or look up at the microwave, it'll be 8:28. It's still happens. Yeah, Yeah. I don't know. I mean, he knows.

Sandy Kovach  [00:40:45]:
Smiling, actually. Yeah. Smiling. Yeah.

Lanée Blaise [00:40:48]:
And remember too, it was a prayer. I know I had prayed for you. I was like, dear Lord, please show yourself to Sandy that you are communicating with her in some kind of direct way, even if she's not hearing words from you. Remember, I prayed this back, gosh, years ago. And yep, here's that answered prayer. It was like I said, not quite the way I would expect it, but I.

Sandy Kovach  [00:41:10]:
You wouldn't have expected that. I mean, who saw that coming? What a weird thing to happen. But that's okay. Maybe weird isn't a good word. Surprising.

Lanée Blaise [00:41:19]:
Surprising. Surprising. So I think we can just track ourselves on out of here and move on to our day, our week. I know you and I had talked about this earlier, too. The thought of, you don't have to fix your entire life today. You only need to get quiet enough to hear the next step straight from God.

Sandy Kovach  [00:41:45]:
That's so good. So good. And I'm thinking about, like, you and falling asleep and trying to be obedient just that one time. And eventually it led to the obedience. The one time. Like if you hear something that you believe God is putting on your heart or you read something in scripture and it's screaming to you, don't worry about, well, what happens if I do this and it doesn't work tomorrow? Just right now, Just next right thing, right? Yes.

Lanée Blaise [00:42:10]:
Oh, I like that.

Sandy Kovach  [00:42:11]:
Yes.

Lanée Blaise [00:42:11]:
Just for the right now. And I do like that part. If anyone wants to go ahead. This is not copyright or trademarked as.

Sandy Kovach  [00:42:18]:
Far as the words go within.

Lanée Blaise [00:42:20]:
But use it for yourself. Just say like, you know what? I am going to. Some people have to Go in their car or go in their bathroom to get away from everybody. But I am going to take a few minutes and go within and be with God. And it's this process where you kind of, like, create. Close your eyes. Try not to fall asleep. Close your eyes.

Lanée Blaise [00:42:37]:
You know, and you see yourself. You see your regular human self, and you see your. Your spirit going down and settling right in the middle of your heart and being surrounded by God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, almost like in a little circle. And you just sit in the presence of God and you can listen for whatever is being nudged or told to you, or you can just savor it for what it is that you don't have to get any tangible word or reward from it. The reward is being in the presence of God and savoring that. And then you just float right on back up out of your heart and back into the regular world and start your day and watch and see how much smoother, clear, productive your day flows.

Sandy Kovach  [00:43:32]:
Yeah, I can't wait to try that. I'm trying it tomorrow. Belle can be on my stomach doing that thing with her paws if she wants. But.

Lanée Blaise [00:43:39]:
Yes, but, yeah, she. Hey, she. It will be fine. You will still be in that presence. And yeah, they're little. Your little kitty cat, Belle will. Will not hurt a thing. I just.

Lanée Blaise [00:43:52]:
Because that's God's little buddy, too.

Sandy Kovach  [00:43:54]:
Yes, yes, yes.

Lanée Blaise [00:43:56]:
Little pets. The little pets. But no, I just. I really am glad that we got to be open today, Sandy, and just, like, share for real.

Sandy Kovach  [00:44:04]:
Yeah. I feel like on this podcast, we're kind of like, you know, in the ladies Bible study with people or the small group or just friends, you know, hanging around. I mean, we're not theologically trained, and obviously we're not telling you thus saith the Lord with anything. And people have different beliefs with their different denominations, and you always go to the Word, and you, you know, you can always go to your pastor and. But we love just to be real with you and tell you what we've been going through, and we love hearing from you, too. So if you've got anything that you would like to tell us about your personal experience, whether it's answered prayers, unanswered prayers, hearing from God, something you want us to pray for with you, we would love to do that. And, Lord, we do. We ask you to bless everyone within the sound of our voices right now that they would not only hear from you, but bring them into a special presence with you for the remainder of this time here on the planet.

Lanée Blaise [00:45:10]:
Amen. And on that we can float right on out of here with. Imagine yourself really beginning to think of the way that God answers prayers as a way to strengthen and develop us, as a way to nurture us and bring us closer to God. And even if our prayers are answered in ways that we did not expect every single time, it will still move us closer and closer to our source. God. God bless you and be well.