Tag: His timing is perfect

Prayer Is Not A Rapid Response Process

John 11:6
So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

In today’s world, everything happens at such a rapid pace. Almost any product can be ordered on line and delivered within one to two days. There are now some on-line delivery services that promise delivery of the new item within two hours. To stand in line for anything drives us up a wall. We simply have lost all patience with anything other than instant gratification.

The problem with instant gratification is that it often fails to deliver on the expectations of the moment. That shiny new toy that we were so excited about seldom fulfills all that we thought it would.

Unfortunately, we carry our need for instant gratification into our prayer life. When we find ourselves or our loved ones afflicted with pain or disease, in financial need or in a very dry place spiritually, we look to Almighty God for instant relief. He does not share our impatience. His timing is completely different from ours.

Our Father in heaven has every intention of meeting the needs of those that accept His Son as their Savior. His plans for us are perfect for us and our needs. He hears our prayers and He answers them. He does not rush to provide the answers instantly, even though He could. When His work of temporal or spiritual deliverance is delayed, it is only on hold for the right time and the maximum good for all. Just as it was for Lazarus and his family, He responds to our prayers with only the best for us and those around us, regardless of how long it takes.

Let us learn to lean on the promises of Almighty God with total faith. Let us know without any doubt that He will hear and answer our prayers. Let us rejoice in knowing that His response to our needs will be perfect for us and for those around us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for always giving us what is best for us and not what we ask for and certainly not what we deserve. We exalt You for the loving kindness, the mercy and the grace that You extend to us endlessly. We pray, Lord, that You will show us how to wait confidently in faith for all that You have prepared for us and those around us. We rejoice in knowing that Your timing is perfect. We ask all these things in the name of the Alpha and the Omega, Jesus Christ.

Dealing With Stall Mode

Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God! I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Almighty God is omnipotent. He is able to deliver us from the most extreme trials. Almighty God is omniscient. He knows every little detail about us and our troubles. Almighty God is unchangeable, forever faithful to His promises. He makes all things work together for those that abide in Him. So why is it that we are so impatient when it comes to waiting on God?

Is there anything that we have learned to hate more than waiting? What is it about traffic lights, grocery lines, internet downloads, etc. that create such angst? Has patience disappeared completely in our lives? Is there anything that frustrates us more than lack of success when something we are working on is in stall mode? Even when we know we are doing everything right and in the right way, the results become more important to us than the process. When did we lose sight of the fact that God is in control of everything?

The frustration of waiting for something to happen and the pain of waiting on success both stem from the same issue. We are focusing on self gratification and not focusing on the plans that God has for our lives and His perfect will for our lives. In our impatience, we foolishly rush ahead of God in our efforts to make things happen on our timetable.

Let us reach out to the Holy Spirit for guidance and instruction when we are so anxious to move before God moves. Let us learn to trust in God’s timing. Let us rejoice as we reap the unimaginable rewards of waiting on God’s divine will for our lives.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the good plan for our lives that You promise us in Your Holy Word. We praise You for Your Holy Spirit who guides us and strengthens us so that we can overcome the desires of our flesh that are not in accordance with Your plans. We pray, Father, that You renew our minds so that we will know Your will for our lives. We pray that the Holy Spirit will teach us to learn to be still and wait on the all sufficient grace and provision that You promise us. We ask all these things in the name of Our Blessed Hope and Assurance, Jesus Christ.

Waiting For the Appointed Time

Habakkuk 2:3
For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

As we wait to see the providence of God in answers to our prayers, we must be careful not to become impatient with God. His ways are greater than our ways. His timing is perfect. He has the perfect appointment set for the resolution of our prayerful solicitations.

The prophet, Habakkuk, was frustrated that God was not dealing with the iniquities that he saw in the world around him. He was impatient because those that he prophesied to were not responding to the Word of God. In this scripture, the Lord reminds Habakkuk that he must be patient because the visions and promises that God gives are sure to come.

We probably have not had a vision like Habakkuk had. But if we have been diligent in seeking the Lord’s hand in our lives, we are likely to have found some type of confirmation of God’s providence through His Word, through urgings of His Holy Spirit or through the progress we see in our own lives or in the lives of those that we have been praying for. Let us be joyful. The things that we pray for in the will of God and in accordance with His promises will come to us. Though the fruit of our prayers may be deferred for a time, whether long or short our wait may be, the fruit will come at last. And, hallelujah, the longer wait usually means a greater harvest.

Let us pray in confidence and wait with faith for the perfect answer to our prayers. Let us rejoice for Almighty God hears and answers ever single prayer – perfectly.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your providence in our lives. We exalt the name of Jesus who has insured that the favor of Your promises will never be withheld from us. We pray, Lord, that Your Holy Spirit will teach us how to rest on Your Word and that He will strengthen us when the promise of the Word is long in coming. May we persevere to the end through the graces that You provide. We ask all these things in the name of the Alpha and the Omega, Jesus Christ.