When undergoing a trial, we may feel that Jehovah’s new world will never come. Does this mean that our faith is weak? Not necessarily. Consider an illustration. In the middle of a brutally cold winter, we may feel that summer will never come. And yet summer does come. Likewise, when we are deeply discouraged, we might feel that the new world will never come. If our faith is strong, though, we know that God’s promises will be fulfilled. (Ps. 94:3, 14, 15; Heb. 6:17-19) With that confidence, we can continue putting our worship of Jehovah first in our life. Consider one more area in which strong faith is required​—the preaching work. Many people feel that the “good news” about God’s coming new world is too good to be true. (Matt. 24:14; Ezek. 33:32) Never allow their skeptical attitude to rub off on us. To prevent that from happening, we must keep strengthening our faith. w23.04 19:6-7, 14

Have you ever wondered whether Jehovah is answering your prayers? If so, you are not alone. A number of brothers and sisters have voiced this concern, especially when going through a difficult time. If we are suffering, we too may find it harder to discern how Jehovah is answering our prayers. Why can we be confident that Jehovah answers the prayers of his worshippers? The Scriptures assure us that Jehovah loves us deeply and that we are precious to him. (Hag. 2:7; 1 John 4:10) That is why he invites us to ask for his help in prayer. (1 Pet. 5:6, 7) He wants to help us to stay close to him and to deal successfully with the difficulties we are facing. In the Bible, we often read that Jehovah answered the prayers of his worshippers. Can you think of an example? w23.05 21:1-4

Mary had her own relationship with Jehovah; her faith did not depend on what Joseph did. She knew the Scriptures well. She also made time for meditation. (Luke 2:19, 51) No doubt, Mary’s spirituality made her an excellent wife. Today, many wives strive to do as Mary did. For example, a sister named Emiko says: “When I was single, I had my personal spiritual routine. But after getting married, I realized that because my husband prayed for us and took the lead in worship, my faith had become dependent on what he did. I came to see that I needed to carry my own load regarding my relationship with Jehovah. So now I set aside time to be alone with my God​—praying, reading the Scriptures, and meditating on his thoughts.” (Gal. 6:5) Wives, as you continue strengthening your friendship with Jehovah, your husband will have even more reason to praise you and love you.​—Prov. 31:30. w23.05 23:6