I have prayed many prayers in my lifetime. I can tell you that most of the time my prayers weren’t answered immediately. I am NOT a patient person so this has always been difficult for me. I often wondered why God doesn’t answer prayers right away.
It was a year ago that I was abruptly cut from my job. The next day I reached out to a contact with another company and I thought I was on my way to getting another job rather quickly. It didn’t end up like that at all. That call was followed by several delays and frustration. I assumed that I KNEW this was going to work out but in the end, the timing led me to the company I am with today and it was a better opportunity than I had ever imagined.
I have learned that the reason God doesn’t always answer is because of timing. First of all, the reason that God doesn’t answer our prayers right away is - well - He’s God and we are not. He doesn’t take pleasure in making us wait but He sees the entire picture. We only see the results that we want but not the implications it will have on others. There is a butterfly effect on how our prayers are answered. The answers often have a ripple effect.
This is painfully true when you are prayers involve people. God isn’t going to force people to do anything. Our free will is the wildcard in the timing of our prayers being answered. There are so many connections involved which affect the outcome.
I have learned that the reason God doesn’t always answer is because of timing. First of all, the reason that God doesn’t answer our prayers right away is - well - He’s God and we are not. He doesn’t take pleasure in making us wait but He sees the entire picture. We only see the results that we want but not the implications it will have on others. There is a butterfly effect on how our prayers are answered. The answers often have a ripple effect.
This is painfully true when you are prayers involve people. God isn’t going to force people to do anything. Our free will is the wildcard in the timing of our prayers being answered. There are so many connections involved which affect the outcome.
God's timing is the perfect moment when He has ordained for something to happen. It is not about our own timeline or desires. Instead, God's timing is rooted in His will and perfect plan. When we trust in God's timing, we can be sure He is working while we wait.
I know. This makes my head hurt too but we tend to only look at the answers to our prayers selfishly and not from God’s perspective and how all things have to work together for His good - not ours. (Romans 8:28). Isaiah 55:8-9 also reminds us “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."
God hears our prayers and He wants to answer them but there is a divine timetable which He doesn’t share with us. Our job is to pray, have faith and leave the results to Him.
God hears our prayers and He wants to answer them but there is a divine timetable which He doesn’t share with us. Our job is to pray, have faith and leave the results to Him.
If you’re like me, we can get impatient and sometimes we mess everything up by trying to make things happen ourselves instead of waiting on God. It must frustrate Him when we do this. We probably never realize how we may have delayed the answer to our prayers because we had to meddle.
God’s timing is crucial. We need to understand it and let Him make it happen according to His plan.
“Faith in God includes faith in God’s timing.”
Neal A. Maxwell
God’s timing is crucial. We need to understand it and let Him make it happen according to His plan.
“Faith in God includes faith in God’s timing.”
Neal A. Maxwell
