“The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.” -Lamentations 3:25,26.
If you are a Christian seeking to grow in the Lord, you certainly know the importance of FAITH in your dealings with God. And if you've been on this spiritual course for any amount of time, it's likely that you've already had at least some lengthy periods of waiting to receive answers that you seek in prayer. Such delays are quite normal in a Christian's life, and while it is good to double check the legitimacy of your request with God, you should not be discouraged; for every believer will go through these times; they are typical, and they are a blessing.
It is good to realize that patience & waiting are essential to genuine faith in God. When we go to God for our needs, we deal with an invisible God (I Timothy 1:17) for an answer we don't yet have. Most shy away from this, and simply use whatever means they see in front of them; no faith!
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” -Hebrews 11:1.
And so it is most natural for the carnal man to work out his own solutions, but when we do turn to God for His provision it's because we do not yet have what we need; waiting is therefore a natural part of the prayer/answer process.
Sometimes the prayer answer is not too long in coming, but when it delays it is often much too long for our comfort, isn't it? But I dare say that most times seem to fall into the category of a long wait rather than a short one, and then patience is the tool that takes over.
“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” -Hebrews 10:35,36.
There are 2 reasons I see for seeking God's answer rather than providing our own; first, the thing we seek is impossible for us, or nearly so, and it won't be impossible for God (Mark 10:27). Second, we want to do things God's way, and not by some quick & easy handling that many might find to be acceptable. As Christians, we will run into this regularly, and you can see how faith is exercised by waiting.
Another question to typically ask is, “Why is it taking so long?” The answers for this one could be many and varied, depending on the circumstances surrounding the issue being prayed over; but I will suggest a number of possibilities. Number 1 is resistance from the devil. Daniel 10:2-13 tells of spiritual resistance to Daniel's prayers that took 3 weeks. Number 2 is that God wants to develop your prayer life, and what better way than to allow a trial for a season for which you really need Him? Number 3 is that over a time period you will see God's FAITHFULNESS, and perhaps many answers to prayer. It's not just your main answer, but also answers to other issues that accompany it. This will greatly deepen your Christian walk, give you a testimony that glorifies God, and can be a tremendous help to fellow believers along the way (2 Corinthians 1:3,4). Number 4 is that we must be respectful to our God and Savior, and to His higher ways (Isaiah 55:8-11). God is NOT a genie! We would become like spoiled children if God were to quickly and often grant whatever we may ask. Number 5 is to be submitted to God's will, no matter what, like our Savior showed us to be (Matthew 26:42). A key part of faith is to TRUST God at His Word (Numbers 23:19), and for the love He's shown us by sacrificing His Son;
“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” -I John 4:10.
Our God is a supplier of needs, and where there is a legitimate need you can have much confidence in the petition you make (Philippians 4:19), and if that need is urgent the Lord will certainly supply whatever it may be as quickly as you really need it. But I hope you can learn from this article that waiting and patience are very naturally a part of faith and prayer, and delays to answers by themselves are not at all a poor reflection on the believer. Calling on God is an act of faith, even if somehow there is a delay according to His will. He is growing us into His likeness, and has promised that He will work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).
“I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” -Psalm 27:13,14.
“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” -Romans 8:32.
P.S: We must always TRUST in the LORD beyond our understanding. We lived in a mobile home park, and needed a new furnace for heating/cooling. After getting estimates, we could have gotten one with a $4,000 loan (we had $1,000 to contribute). It was a small loan, and we'd have paid it within a year. But when I prayed, God said, No, don't take the debt.
Less than a year later, the park we were in increased rent $15 a month for oil furnaces, which is what we had before, and would have gotten again! So we saved our money...
The following year our park was sold, and after a little while they banned all oil furnaces, making owners remove them-but just a few months before they did, I had purchased an electric one for cash, having no debt and no furnace removal issues! Had I replaced the oil furnace at the first like intended, I would have been forced to lose it after just 2 years! Getting the new heat pump instead meant waiting, but God's kindness and wisdom were a blessed signature on the process.
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