When I'm worried I pray to Him, but after that I still get worried. Also, I find it hard to trust others people. How do I know who God has sent for me?
There appears to be two parts to this question. First, there's the issue of trust. Pastor Kelly has written a great little post on this very issue. Read it here. Trust is a matter of character. You can only trust those who have proven themselves in the past. You can trust good friends because they have earned your trust (e.g. they keep their word; they don't cheat you; they don't gossip behind your back, etc.). You can trust God because God loves you and keeps his promises. He even suffered for you and died in your place, on the cross! If that doesn't show us a compelling picture of love, nothing will! When you pray, therefore, you need not worry because God will take care of you. He is trustworthy, good and pure.
Practically, I would suggest reading the Scripture and soak in the verses/stories that talk about trusting in God. For example, when David faced Goliath (1 Sam. 17); he put His trust in God, even though everyone laughed at him. When you read this story, it should remind you that God is trustworthy to you as he's been to thousands and millions of other individuals. I'd also recommend that you continually meditate on God's past grace in your life (e.g. past prayer requests that were answered; etc.). This will help remind you that God's character is the same. You can trust Him today and tomorrow. Lastly, when you pray - simply ask God to give you the strength, wisdom, patience and insight to trust him more. Sometimes it's difficult to be patient and trust God, and that's why we need his continual strength to do so.
As for your 2nd question ("How do I know who God has sent for me?"), God can speak to us through many different people and circumstances. Again, it comes down to the issue of trust. When you are unsure of something and you talk to another person about it, do you trust that person has your best interests in mind? Do they love God? Do they know what God desires (i.e. do they know what the Bible says about an issue)? This is not to say God cannot speak to you through non-Christians. When I was young, God spoke to me through a non-Christian friend who challenged me on my attitude. I'll never forget that day.
But when it comes to salvation and deep matters of faith/life direction/sin, I believe God speaks to us through those who know and love him. Those who truly know and love God are those who know the truth and have your best interests in mind. You can trust them for God has sent them as "witnesses" to you (see John the Baptist's example in John 1:6).
Hope this helps!
[Answered by Pastor HM]
