When we’ve been praying for something for a long time but God doesn’t seem to be doing anything, we can become discouraged. But God doesn’t always answer our prayers when we think He should. When Mary and Martha’s brother Lazarus was very sick, they sent a message to Jesus. They would have heard stories of the times Jesus had healed others, and would have expected Jesus to drop everything and come right away to heal His friend. But Jesus did something unexpected. He waited. Imagine how Mary and Martha felt. They knew Jesus well; they knew He was good, loving, and that He wanted to heal people. So why wasn’t He coming? Lazarus died, and Jesus still hadn’t made an appearance. We can often feel like that too. We pray about something, and then we’re surprised when we’re made to wait. We can find ourselves doubting God’s character, wondering whether He’s abandoned us, stopped loving us, or isn’t actually as good as we thought He was. But God always comes through at the right time. Because He came to see Lazarus after he had died, He was able to glorify God through raising him back to life again. And His timing is perfect in our lives too. We don’t have to wait around doing nothing though. God wants us to keep praying, keep seeking His will, and keep trusting in Him. In Luke 18 there’s a parable about a widow who persistently asked a judge to help her get justice. Eventually this judge gave in. If persistent requests could persuade a hard-hearted judge to step in, how much more can our persistent requests to an all-loving God do. He longs to help us, so let’s not give up asking Him to. 

What Now?

Is there something you have given up praying for? Start praying for it again today. Set a reminder on your phone to pray about it every day until you get an answer.