Wait for the Lord;
Psalm 27:14 (NIV)
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayers?
Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting—for he will never disappoint you!
(The Passion Translation, Psalm 27:14)
When we’re going through a hard season in life, it can be challenging to exercise patience. Since we’re part of a quick fix, instant gratification culture, we often want that to be the case for the difficulties we’re facing. And while there are many circumstances in the Bible, throughout history, and in contemporary culture where God moves on a situation, bringing immediate healing or resolution, that isn’t the norm every time.
That gap of time between when we call on God for help and when we see God move is often a hard liminal space to endure. The longer I’m on my journey as a Christian, the more I realize that there are a number of things that may be slowing or preventing the results I’m longing for from manifesting in that exact moment. Here are the four keys God has given me to help me be patient as I’m waiting for Him to answer.
- God may already be moving on my situation, but I can’t see it right now because there are other people and circumstances that need to be brought into proper alignment or timing because they are part of God’s response to my request.
- I may not yet ready to carry the thing I’m asking God for and there is a necessary waiting and growing period before God will allow that prayer to be answered because if He gave me what I was asking for right now, it would crush me.
- I may be trying to get the cart ahead of the horse and the thing I’m asking for is completely out of alignment with my current season and would deter me from the aspects of my divine calling and destiny that God wants me to step into right now.
- Sometimes we’re in a Daniel 10:13 sort of moment and there is spiritual warfare happening in the unseen realm that is preventing God’s answer from immediately coming to pass.
Prayer:
Father, we know you desire to give us what we’re asking for, but we struggle to be patient as we wait for your response. Give each of us the wisdom and discernment to understand what You’re doing on our behalf even when our first inclination many times is to think You’re being silent. Amen
Action Step:
Take a few minutes to think about the biggest prayer request you’re still waiting for God to answer. Find a quiet place where you can be alone with God for an extended period of time and ask Him to show you why this prayer request has seemingly been stuck in limbo. Ask Him to show you if there is anything you need to change or shift in your life to be better aligned to receive an answer.
https://shauntabatt.com/psalm-2714-why-doesnt-god-answer-my-prayers/