Are you waiting for your prayer to be answered?

Do you get discouraged when God doesn’t answer your prayer in your timing or the way you asked him to answer?

When I am discouraged, that God isn’t answering my prayers, I am reminded of Mary and Martha at Lazarus’ death (John 11). Jesus had a purpose in not going to Lazarus when he was ill. Jesus had a job to do before going to Bethany to heal Lazarus. At the right time, God would be glorified.

Knowing I can place my concerns in God’s hands instead of carrying them myself is comforting. It keeps me from telling God how to answer my prayers, which I like to do. Very often, God has a different schedule to answer our prayers than we do. We read in John 11 how Mary and Martha were disappointed and thought all hope was gone when Jesus didn’t come when they called for him. However, Jesus had a different plan for something even more extraordinary: Lazarus would be raised from the dead so that God’s Son would be glorified.

Our prayers may not be answered in our lifetime, but we must wait for God’s perfect timing. If you are in that situation, you are not alone; my husband and I are there. We continue to trust that God will answer our prayer in His way and in His timing. However, in the waiting, God does amazing things, both in our lives and in the lives of those for whom I am praying.

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