Sometimes I just want to know why things are happening. I want to know why it feels like I’m under attack. I want to know the purpose of the problem, the source of the struggle, the meaning of the madness. Maybe you’ve been asking why. Maybe you’ve been trying to understand what is happening right now in your life. Ahhhhh, this is for you sister! God has been whispering to my spirit a message to share specifically with you. You ask why, here’s your answer: Because Satan has asked to sift you. Yes, that’s it. Plain and simple, the enemy has asked to attack you. He has asked to shake you up. He’s asked to strip you of a few things to see if you’ll still stand in faith through it all. And Jesus in confidence has said, “Yes, sift her. Then I’ll use it all for good when you do.” Girl, I’m not making this up. It’s all in scripture and it’s been there all along. At the last supper when Jesus is sharing his final meal with his best friends, knowing he was about to face crucifixion, he warned Peter of this sifting. Luke 22: 31-32 Jesus said “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” First of all, Jesus is talking to Peter, but he calls him Simon. He not only calls him by his old name, he says it twice, “Simon, Simon.” What’s the significance of this? He’s saying who he used to be is going to show back up. The old impulsive, impatient, temperamental version of him is going to take over for a hot minute. Although he has now been called to be Peter, the rock on which Jesus would build his church, there’s still some Simon in him. Jesus gave him the new name of Peter, but the old Simon is still in there. And guess what, Jesus is okay with that. Jesus is making you a new person. He’s transforming your mind, changing the way you think. He’s helping you respond instead of react now. He’s changing your desires and removing old bad habits. But he knows while he is making you new, that old you will still be battling inside. I heard Steven Furtick say it like this, “Although Peter was the new name of Simon, Simon was still inside of him.” So Jesus is speaking to the old Peter, Simon. The one he was trying not to be any longer. And he says “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat.” This is a real oh crap moment. Peter must have been like “Jesus, did you tell him no?!!!! Come on, please tell me you told Satan no. Don’t let him sift me.” But Jesus says “I have pleaded in prayer for you that your faith should not fail.” So here’s Peter trying to be this new version of himself, faithful follower of Jesus, a solid and steady rock Jesus would trust to build his church on, and he’s being called by his old name, remembered for who he used to be. Dang, that sucks. But this is actually great news for you and I. This means even when we stumble and go back to our old ways, even when we fail to show up as this new and improved version of ourselves, Jesus still says “I’m pleading for you.” Yes, even when you’ve screwed up, Jesus is on your side. Even when you’ve just wasted all the progress you’ve made and fallen right back into your old ways, Jesus is standing right beside you. He’s not walking away. He’s not giving up. He’s pleading for you. Speaking on your behalf, stamping his name on your ID,