Delayed answer to prayer. Has anyone ever experienced this? Has anyone ever had to wait, not just days or weeks but months or years for an answer to our prayers? I am certain that I am not alone in this. All of us, at one time or another, have had to wait.
Psalms 27:14
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. (NIV)
Why Make Us Wait?
If God hears us and if He answers our prayers, why make us wait? Clearly, David had to wait, and he was a man after God’s heart. So, why not us? Maybe we have learning to do; maybe we need to consider what it is we are asking for; or maybe, just maybe, we are asking from the wrong perspective.
Consider this scripture_
Psalms 37:4
4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (NIV Jesus Bible)
This passage tells us that God gives us the desires of our hearts. All desires? I think not. Therefore, the first part of this passage is so critical. It tells us to ‘take delight in the Lord,’… if we delight in the Lord, our desires will be aligned with God’s desires.
Pray in accordance with God’s desires
That is, if we pray in accordance with God’s will, He will grant us the desires of our hearts. How do we know if we are praying in God’s will… well that is another topic of discussion to come.
Yes, it may still take time… we will still experience delayed answer to prayer. But we need to remember that God’s timing is always perfect. He is never early, and He is never late. Consider this short poem by JJ Lynch. (Dr. David Jeremiah devotional.)
His wisdom is sublime,
His heart profoundly kind;
God is never before His time,
And never is behind.
So, we know God answers prayers, but we also need to remember that sometimes the answer is not now; not yet, and even no. We need to be alert and open to what God is telling us. He can, and does, slam doors shut, but He always leaves another way out… like an open window.
Look around… see what God is doing. Are you still experiencing a delayed answer to prayer? Has He slammed a door shut? Is there an open window, another opportunity before you? Has He answered your prayers and you’ve not even realized it? Has He said no? Look deep inside and ask the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus, to let you see and understand. I know He will.
Have a blessed day, knowing God answers prayers.
Jana