Nowhere in the Bible does God promise us instant answers to our prayers. His promises for answered prayer are amazing and reassuring, but none of them includes a timetable. He only assures us that He Is Never Too Late.
Yet, in our impatience, we don’t want an answer that is simply “I’m never late.” We want an answer yesterday. We have needs, and we don’t understand why those needs must be prolonged.
“I waited patiently for The LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry.” (Psalm 40:1)
God has His reasons for delaying His response to us. Perhaps our needs are being prolonged because they are accomplishing something in us that nothing else will. Perhaps they are being prolonged because God is doing a necessary work in the life of someone else who is involved in our situation. Perhaps He is teaching us about prayer or refining our faith.
It could be that in His prolonged response He is allowing us to identify with Jesus and His sufferings – it is, after all, His ultimate purpose to conform us to the image of His Son. How can we be truly conformed if we have no identification with His pain?
Sometimes God will reveal to our spirit that His answer is delayed because the delay will further His work in our own heart or in another area. And then sometimes He just presses the pause button. In either case, our wise response is to know that if we are waiting on God, there must be a very good reason. And if we’re waiting in faith, with expectation, our wait will be greatly rewarded. His timing is always perfect because He always hears our prayers and will always reply. Always.
Have a pleasant weekend. Make it better by worshiping The LORD with those who know firsthand that God always come through for those who place their trust in Him.
All For Jesus – Nothing More, Nothing Less, Nothing Else.
Vic Alvarado 