Evangelist Joshua Orekhie Ministries

EJOM DAILY DEVOTIONAL:

July 15, 2026

Topic: When That Problem Refuses To Go

Opening Scriptures 

2 Corinthians 12:8–9 (KJV)

“For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Mark 9:28–29 (KJV)

“And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.”

Luke 18:7–8 (KJV)

“And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

Memory Verse

Psalm 34:17 (KJV)

“The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.”

EJOM DAILY DEVOTIONAL: July 15, 2026 – When That Problem Refuses To Go

Beloved, there are some problems that will go away on their own. If you give them time, before you know it, the matter is completely over. There are also problems that will disappear the moment you simply obey God, correct your mistakes, and change your lifestyle.

Sometimes, what you call a spiritual attack may actually be the result of a wrong decision, carelessness, indiscipline, or failure to listen to wise counsel. Once you make the necessary correction, the problem begins to lose its hold over you. But there are some problems that stubbornly refuse to leave.

You have prayed. You have fasted. You have cried. You have asked people to join you in prayer. You have changed your ways. Yet, the same problem keeps returning back. It goes away for a short time and comes back again. You think you have overcome it, but suddenly you find yourself facing the same battle in another form.

When you pray for a problem to go and it refuses to go, it means ordinary prayer is not enough for that problem to leave you completely. You must take extra move. You must add more fire to the prayers. You cannot fold your hands and just say God will fight your battles. You must locate the problem before you can crush it to pieces.

This is where many people are missing it. A lot of people are trying to solve a problem without knowing where the problem is coming from. They are attacking the fruit and leaving the root. They are praying against the symptom and ignoring the source. If you don’t know where your attack is coming from, you will keep fighting the wrong battle every single day.

Beloved, when a problem refuses to go, you must pay attention to it. I want you know that not every persistent problem should be ignored. Some challenges require deeper wisdom, careful examination, persistent prayer, and practical action. You must ask God for discernment to understand what you are dealing with.

A doctor does not prescribe medicine before examining the patient. In the same way, you should not fight every battle with the same approach. Many people are fighting the wrong battle because they have not identified the root cause of the problem. They keep cutting the branches of a tree while leaving the root.

They are praying against poverty when the real issue is poor financial discipline. They are praying against enemies when the real issue is bad character. They are praying for marital breakthrough when the problem is lack of socialization. They are praying for promotion when the real issue is arriving late at work.

Beloved, prayer is powerful, but prayer should never become an excuse for refusing to make necessary certain changes in your life. At the same time, as Christians, we believe that some battles are sponsored by our enemies. The Bible says in Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers…”

The enemy’s desire is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He wants to frustrate people, weaken their faith, and make them abandon God’s purpose for their lives. The enemy wants to use that same problem to make God a liar in your life. The enemy will pretend to be nice but adding more problems to a person’s life.

So today, ask God this question: where is this thing coming from. Is it from a person. Is it from an altar. Is it from a place I visited. Is it from something my family did generations ago. Is it a curse somebody spoke over me. God will show you if you ask Him sincerely. And once you locate it, you crush it. You don’t manage it, you don’t tolerate it, you crush it to pieces until it can never disturb you again.

Beloved, I must be honest with you. Some problems are so heavy that they will make you ask God questions. You will find yourself saying God why is this happening to me. God, where are You in this matter. That is normal. Even men of old asked God questions. But hear the Word of God today, He has told us not to fear, He has told us to be strong and of good courage.

That problem you are facing will surely go, but only if you believe. Your faith is the key that unlocks your breakthrough. Unbelief will keep you tied to that same spot for years. Not every problem is from the devil. Some problems are allowed by God Himself. Not to destroy you, but to push you to the next level.

God sometimes allows a situation to shake you small so that you can grow and learn lessons. Let me give you example. Maybe your landlord gives you one month quit notice to pack out of the house. That kind of notice alone can give a man high blood pressure. It can make your heart race.

It can make you lose sleep at night. But watch this, that same letter that is troubling you is the same letter that will push you closer to God. That letter will make you pray like never before. That letter will make you seek God’s face with seriousness you never had before. So the problem that looks like your enemy is actually working as your helper, pushing you toward heaven.

So you see, a problem can do one of two things. A problem can prepare you for breakthrough, or a problem can strengthen you to pray more. Either way, God is using it to reveal something important to you.  Problem must come, the Bible already told us that in this world we will have tribulation.

That is not news. But the real matter is this, you must know where your particular challenge is coming from, and you must know what kind of problem you are dealing with. Is it the kind that will go by itself. Is it the kind that needs you to change your ways. Or is it the kind that is spiritual, sponsored by the devil, and needs you to rise up in fire and crush it before it crushes you.

Somebody needs to hear this. That problem that has refused to move is not silent. It is speaking. Every time it returns, it is telling you something. It is telling you that ordinary prayer has reached its limit. It is telling you that there is a door somewhere still open. It is telling you that you have been fighting a spirit with a stick when you needed fire to deal with them.

Stop being angry at the problem. Start listening to what the problem is revealing to you. A wise soldier does not open fire at his enemies just like that, he studies where those attacks are coming from and the best way to handle it. Many believers only cry when the problem are completely out of control. They never sit down to ask what this attack is teaching them about the battlefield they are standing on.

Do not forget this: Not everything that troubles you is against you. God sometimes allows pressure to arrive at your door, not to break you, but to push you into a room of prayer you would never have entered on your own. The quit notice, the sudden bill, the unexpected setback, these can be the very things that drive you to your knees and build in you a hunger for God that comfort could never produce.

When the pressure comes, ask yourself, is this pushing me toward God or away from God. If it is pushing you toward Him, thank Him for the pressure, because pressure that draws you closer to God is not your enemy, it is your teacher.

Beloved, one thing you must understand about a stubborn problem is that it has the ability to change the way you see yourself if you are not careful. When a battle lasts too long, you may begin to identify yourself by that battle. A person who has experienced repeated failure may begin to call himself a failure.

A woman who has faced marital disappointment several times may begin to believe that marriage is not meant for her. A man who has struggled financially for years may conclude that poverty is his permanent portion The woman with the issue of blood suffered for twelve years.

Twelve years is not twelve days. She had spent her resources seeking help, yet the Bible says she was not getting better but rather grew worse. Imagine waking up every morning for twelve years and seeing the same problem. But one day, the problem that had refused to go met Jesus.

Beloved, you are not your problem. You may be experiencing delay, but your name is not delay. You may be facing rejection, but your name is not rejection. You may have failed before, but you are not a total failure. You may be struggling financially, but poverty is not your identity. Your true identity is found in what God says concerning you.

The man at the pool of Bethesda had been in his condition for thirty-eight years. When Jesus asked him, “Wilt thou be made whole?” he did not immediately say yes. He began to explain why he had not been healed. He said, “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool” (John 5:6-7).

For thirty-eight years, he had developed an explanation for his condition. Beloved, be careful that your explanation does not become an excuse for remaining where you are. Yes, people may have disappointed you. Yes, you were not given the same opportunities as others. Yes, somebody may have treated you unfairly.

Yes, you may have made mistakes. But the question today is: What are you going to do from here? Beloved, there is a time to stop explaining the problem and start responding to God’s instruction. Jesus told the man, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk” (John 5:8). That instruction demanded action.

The man could have argued. He could have said, “Jesus, don’t You understand that I have been here for thirty-eight years?” But he responded, and his condition changed. There are times when your breakthrough is connected to an instruction. Naaman wanted healing, but he had to wash in Jordan seven times.

The widow in 2 Kings 4 needed financial intervention, but she had to borrow vessels and pour the oil. Peter needed a financial miracle, but Jesus instructed him to go fishing. The servants at the wedding in Cana had to fill the waterpots before the water became wine. Beloved, what has God been telling you to do?

Sometimes we are asking God to remove a problem while ignoring the instruction He has already given us. God says forgive, but you are still keeping the offence. God says leave that wrong relationship, but you are still negotiating. God says discipline your spending, but you continue to waste money.

God says return to prayer, but you are waiting to feel motivated. God says seek counsel, but pride will not allow you. God says apologize, but you are waiting for the other person to apologize first. The Bible says in Isaiah 1:19, “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.” Obedience is not always comfortable, but it can save you from unnecessary battles.

You must also understand that some stubborn problems require endurance. We live in a generation that wants everything to happen immediately. We want instant miracles, instant success, instant marriage, instant promotion, and instant answers. When something takes longer than expected, we begin to doubt God.

Beloved, what if the problem you are asking God to remove is producing something in you that comfort could never produce? This does not mean you should celebrate suffering or refuse practical help. It means you should remain spiritually alert enough to learn in every season. Ask God for the wisdom to know what He wants you to understand.

Paul had what he called “a thorn in the flesh.” He prayed three times for it to depart. But the answer God gave him was, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9). Sometimes you are asking God, “Lord, take me out,” while God is saying, “I will strengthen you to go through.”

You are saying, “Father, remove the pressure,” but God is building endurance in you. You are saying, “Lord, let everybody like me,” but God is teaching you not to depend on human approval. You are saying, “God, make the road easy,” but God is opening another way for you. Beloved, you must know what season you are in.

There is a time to command the mountain to move, and there is a time to climb the mountain with the strength God has given you. There is a time to rebuke the storm, and there is a time to trust Jesus while the storm is still raging. There is a time when prison doors open immediately, as they did for Paul and Silas, and there is a time when Joseph remains in prison until God’s appointed moment.

If your car refuses to start, you do not immediately conclude that the engine is completely damaged. A good mechanic checks the battery. He checks the fuel. He checks the plugs. He checks the electrical system. He investigates before making a conclusion.

Beloved, investigate your life prayerfully. If the problem is financial, examine your income and spending. Are you living beyond your means? Are you borrowing unnecessarily? Are you investing in things you do not understand? Are you refusing to develop skills that can increase your value?

If the problem is marital, examine your relationships. Is there a pattern in the type of people you choose? Are you ignoring obvious warning signs? Is your communication healthy? Are you carrying unresolved pain from a previous relationship into a new one? If the problem is at work, examine your attitude.

Are you punctual? Are you teachable? Are you reliable? Do you complete assignments properly? Do people constantly complain about the same weakness in your work? Beloved, sometimes the Holy Spirit will answer your prayer by showing you yourself. When God shows you the truth, do not fight the truth. Do not become defensive.

Receive correction and make the necessary change. Proverbs 12:1 says, “Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.” There are people who want breakthrough but hate correction. They want God to change their situation, but they do not want God to change them.

You cannot continue doing the same thing, following the same pattern, making the same decisions, and expect a different result. The enemy wants to make you tired of your problem. He understands that a tired person can make careless decisions. This is why persistent problems can be dangerous. After fighting the same battle for years, people sometimes become desperate.

And desperation can make you enter the wrong relationship. Desperation can make you invest money in a fraudulent scheme. Desperation can make you follow false promises. Desperation can make you abandon wise counsel. Desperation can make you accept anything that looks like an answer.

Beloved, be careful. Another danger of a stubborn problem is that it can make abnormal situations appear normal. When someone has lived with a challenge for many years, the person may gradually adjust to it. He stops expecting change in his life. He learns how to manage the pain and move on. He even develops explanations for why nothing can be done.

Another thing you must learn is to stop announcing every battle to everybody. There are people who cannot carry the weight of your story. Some people will mock you. Some will discourage you. Some will give you careless advice. Others may spread what you told them privately. Nehemiah did not immediately tell everyone what God had placed in his heart.

He said in Nehemiah 2:12, “Neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem.” You need good people around you, but choose wisely. Find mature believers who can pray with you without turning your pain into gossip. Seek competent professional help when the situation requires it.

Listen to people who will tell you the truth, not only people who will say what you want to hear. When that problem refuses to go, do not fight alone, but do not invite everybody into the battle. Moses had Aaron and Hur to hold up his hands when he became tired (Exodus 17:12). Even a strong man can become weary.

Even a prayerful person can need encouragement. There is no shame in receiving wise support. Beloved, the goal is not merely to survive the problem. The goal is to come out from that problem with a change mindset.  That problem must not turn you into a bitter person.

It must not destroy your love for God. It must not make you hate everybody. It must not push you into sin. It must not make you abandon your calling. Job lost many things, but the enemy was interested in something deeper, his relationship with God. His wife said, “Curse God, and die” (Job 2:9). That was the real battle. The pain was physical and emotional, but the attack was also against his faith.

Beloved, guard your faith. The problem may touch your finances, but do not let it steal your faith. It may affect your plans, but do not let it destroy your prayer life. It may delay your expectation, but do not let it make you turn your back on God. You may not understand everything today. You may still have questions. You may still be waiting for an answer. But remain close to the Lord.

When that problem refuses to go, make up your mind that you too will refuse to leave the presence of God. If the battle continues, keep seeking wisdom. If the door remains closed, keep asking for direction. If you discover a mistake, correct it. If you need help, seek it. If God gives an instruction, obey it. If the enemy tempts you to quit, stand.

Beloved, stubborn problems require a stubborn faith, a faith that says, “I may not understand what is happening, but I will not stop trusting God.” The problem has stayed long enough to know your tears. Now let it begin to witness your growth, your wisdom, your obedience, and your confidence in God.

You are not going to remain the same person you were when the battle started. By the time you come out, you will know God better. You will pray with greater understanding. You will make wiser decisions. You will recognize certain traps earlier. You will value good counsel. You will know when to speak and when to remain quiet.

You will know when to wait and when to move. And one day, beloved, you will look back and realize that although the problem came to weaken you, God used the season to build a stronger person out of you. Jesus told us that men ought always to pray and not to faint. This means there will be situations that may tempt you to become tired of praying.

There will be moments when your emotions will tell you, “Stop praying; nothing is happening.” But you must understand that silence does not always mean God is absent. When that problem refuses to go, do not allow the problem to take the place of God in your heart. Some people wake up thinking about their problem.

They go to bed thinking about the problem. Every conversation is about the problem. Their entire life has become centred around what is wrong. Sometimes, God removes the problem immediately. Sometimes, He gives you wisdom to address it. Sometimes, He changes your direction. And sometimes, while you are waiting for the situation to change, God begins a deeper work inside you.

The question is not only, “When will this problem go?” Sometimes the question should also be, “Lord, what are You teaching me in this season, and what wise action are You asking me to take?” When that problem refuses to go, refuse also to surrender. Keep praying. Keep learning. Keep correcting what needs to be corrected.

Keep seeking God’s direction. Your challenge will not have the final say over your life. By the grace of God, the same problem that once made you cry shall become the testimony that makes you say, “Truly, the Lord has brought me through.”

Prophetic Declaration

I decree over your life today: every stubborn problem that has refused to go shall bow to the power of God, in Jesus’ name. Every long-standing battle, repeated disappointment, delay, affliction, and frustration shall come to an end. The Lord shall give you wisdom, strength, and divine direction to overcome. You shall not give up, you shall not be defeated, and your faith shall not fail. That problem shall become a testimony, and your tears shall turn into joy. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Key lessons For Today 

1. Not every problem will disappear immediately. Some challenges require patience, persistence, wisdom, and consistent prayer.

2. A long-standing problem is not necessarily a permanent problem. The fact that you have battled something for years does not mean you will carry it forever.

3. When prayer seems delayed, do not give up on God. Keep trusting, keep praying, and remain spiritually alert.

4. Some problems require a change of approach. Pray, but also examine your decisions, habits, relationships, environment, and repeated patterns.

5. Do not allow one problem to control your entire life. You may be waiting for one testimony, but God is still working in other areas of your life.

6. Persistent problems should move you closer to God, not farther from Him. Let the battle strengthen your prayer life and deepen your dependence on God.

Personal Challenge

Take time today to identify one stubborn problem that has remained in your life for too long. Pray and honestly examine the situation. Ask God, “Lord, what am I not seeing? What must I stop, start, correct, or do differently?”

Write down any lesson, weakness, or practical step you discover. Then make a decision to act on it immediately. If you need to pray more, return to your prayer altar. If you need wisdom, seek godly counsel. If you have made a mistake, correct it.

Wisdom for Today

“When a problem refuses to go, do not only pray harder; ask God for the wisdom to understand what you are fighting and what you need to change.”

Evangelism Challenge

Today, reach out to someone who is tired of fighting a long-standing problem. Encourage the person not to give up on God. Share Psalm 34:19 with them: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” Pray with the person and remind them that a stubborn problem is not greater than the power of God.

Bible in One Year

• 1 Chronicles 19–21
• Romans 3
• Psalm 89:14–37
• Proverbs 20:8–10

Prayer Assignment (Morning)

1. Father, I thank You because no problem is greater than Your power, in Jesus’ name.

2. O Lord, arise and intervene in every stubborn situation troubling my life, in Jesus’ name.

3. Every problem that has refused to go, hear the Word of the Lord and lose your hold over my life, in Jesus’ name.

4. Father, give me divine wisdom to understand the root of every repeated problem in my life, in Jesus’ name.

5. O Lord, open my eyes to see what I have failed to see concerning my situation, in Jesus’ name.

6. Every long-standing battle assigned to weaken my faith, come to an end, in Jesus’ name.

7. Father, reveal every wrong decision contributing to my problems and give me grace to correct it, in Jesus’ name.

8. Every repeated pattern of disappointment in my life, break by the power of God, in Jesus’ name.

9. O Lord, deliver me from fighting the wrong battle and ignoring the real problem, in Jesus’ name.

10. Every stubborn mountain standing before my progress, be removed, in Jesus’ name.

11. Father, show me what I must stop, start, change, or correct, in Jesus’ name.

12. Every problem designed to make me give up on God, fail in your assignment, in Jesus’ name.

13. O Lord, strengthen me in every season of waiting, in Jesus’ name.

14. Every arrow of frustration fired against my life, come out and lose your influence, in Jesus’ name.

15. Father, deliver me from desperation and every wrong decision caused by pressure, in Jesus’ name.

16. Every cycle of rising and falling, come to an end in my life, in Jesus’ name.

17. O Lord, give me the courage to obey every instruction You give me, in Jesus’ name.

18. Every stubborn problem connected to my own carelessness, Father, give me wisdom and discipline to correct my ways, in Jesus’ name.

19. Every spiritual opposition working against my peace and progress, lose your hold over my life, in Jesus’ name.

20. Every voice telling me that my situation will never change, be silenced, in Jesus’ name.

21. O Lord, deliver me from repeating the same mistake and expecting a different result, in Jesus’ name.

22. Every power of fear and anxiety attacking my mind because of prolonged problems, depart from me, in Jesus’ name.

23. Father, connect me with wise and godly people who will help me make better decisions, in Jesus’ name.

24. O Lord, turn every stubborn problem in my life into a testimony of Your faithfulness, in Jesus’ name.

25. Every battle assigned to make me abandon my calling and purpose, fail, in Jesus’ name.

26. Father, give me strength to stand when the enemy wants me to surrender, in Jesus’ name.

27. Every long-standing door of affliction, disappointment, stagnation, and frustration, be closed, in Jesus’ name.

28. O Lord, let Your mercy speak over every area of my life where I have struggled for too long, in Jesus’ name.

29. Every stubborn battle that has overstayed in my life, receive your termination today, in Jesus’ name.

30. O God, arise and uproot every hidden root feeding repeated problems in my life, in Jesus’ name.

31. Every power renewing my battles whenever I am close to victory, lose your hold over me, in Jesus’ name.

32. Father, let every problem that followed me from one season to another come to an end, in Jesus’ name.

33. Every evil pattern that keeps bringing me back to the same point, break by fire, in Jesus’ name.

34. O Lord, expose every hidden door through which trouble repeatedly enters my life, in Jesus’ name.

35. Every battle that disappears and returns again, your cycle is broken today, in Jesus’ name.

36. Every voice of condemnation reminding me constantly of my past mistakes, be silenced, in Jesus’ name

37. Father, let my calling and God-given potential survive every difficult season, in Jesus’ name.

38. Father, help me to build a better pattern for those coming after me, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Assignment (Night)

1. Powers assigned to make my problems stronger than my prayers, be disgraced, in Jesus’ name.

2. Every stubborn opposition saying I will never enjoy peace, lose your voice over my life, in Jesus’ name.

3. Father, let Your light expose every mystery behind my prolonged battles, in Jesus’ name.

4. Every problem connected to a wrong environment, O Lord, give me wisdom and direction, in Jesus’ name.

5. Every relationship secretly feeding confusion and trouble into my life, let the truth be revealed, in Jesus’ name.

6. Father, deliver me from every decision that keeps reopening closed battles, in Jesus’ name.

7. Every evil cycle of almost succeeding and suddenly failing, come to an end, in Jesus’ name.

8. Powers assigned to frustrate me at the edge of my breakthrough, fail in your assignment, in Jesus’ name.

9. Every pattern of unnecessary delay operating in my life, break now, in Jesus’ name.

10. O Lord, give me divine strategy to overcome every difficult situation before me, in Jesus’ name.

11. Every stubborn problem attacking my prayer life, lose your hold over me, in Jesus’ name.

12. Father, restore every spiritual strength I have lost through prolonged battles, in Jesus’ name.

13. Every spirit of weariness assigned to make me stop praying, depart from me, in Jesus’ name.

14. O Lord, renew my faith and give me fresh confidence in Your promises, in Jesus’ name.

15. Every problem assigned to turn my heart against God, fail completely, in Jesus’ name.

16. Father, deliver me from every temptation to seek wrong solutions because of desperation, in Jesus’ name.

17. Every deceptive opportunity appearing as an answer to my problem, be exposed, in Jesus’ name.

18. O Lord, do not allow pressure to push me outside Your perfect will, in Jesus’ name.

19. Every evil counsel designed to increase my problems, lose your influence over my decisions, in Jesus’ name.

20. Father, surround me with people of wisdom, truth, and godly understanding, in Jesus’ name.

21. Every long-standing financial battle troubling my peace, receive divine intervention, in Jesus’ name.

22. Every repeated marital disappointment, let the cycle come to an end, in Jesus’ name.

23. Every stubborn fear tormenting my mind day and night, lose your hold over me, in Jesus’ name.

24. Father, intervene in every problem concerning my children and family, in Jesus’ name.

25. Every battle attacking my health and weakening my strength, receive the touch of God, in Jesus’ name.

26. O Lord, arise and give me rest from every prolonged struggle, in Jesus’ name.

27. Every problem that has become a source of mockery and embarrassment, turn into a testimony, in Jesus’ name.

28. Father, let those who have seen my tears witness Your goodness in my life, in Jesus’ name.

29. Every power assigned to make me labour without meaningful results, lose your hold over my life, in Jesus’ name.

30. O Lord, let my efforts begin to produce good and lasting results, in Jesus’ name.

31. Every pattern of working hard and achieving little, come to an end, in Jesus’ name.

32. Father, give me wisdom to recognize opportunities You have placed around me, in Jesus’ name.

33. Every spirit of confusion preventing me from taking the right step, depart from me, in Jesus’ name.

34. O Lord, direct my feet away from paths that will create unnecessary problems, in Jesus’ name.

35. Every burden I have carried for too long, I surrender it to the Lord, in Jesus’ name.

36. Every spirit of hopelessness telling me to give up, lose your voice over my mind, in Jesus’ name.

37. Every problem waiting for me in my future, let divine wisdom guide me away from avoidable trouble, in Jesus’ name.

38. Father, give me the discipline to maintain every positive change I need to make, in Jesus’ name.

39. Every habit secretly contributing to repeated problems in my life, give way to wisdom and self-control, in Jesus’ name.

40. O Lord, make me sensitive to Your warnings and instructions, in Jesus’ name.

African proverb

“When smoke refuses to disappear, the wise man searches for the hidden fire.”