Why Does God Make Us Wait?

Sis Melinda Song 

Illustration: The well-known New England preacher, Phillips Brooks, was normally a man of poise and calm. But at times he suffered moments of frustration and irritability. One day a friend saw him pacing the floor like a caged lion and asked, “What is the trouble, Dr. Brooks?” “The trouble is,” Brooks replied, “that I’m in a hurry, but God isn’t!”

If you have been a Christian for very long, you have experienced God’s delays. Assuming that you are not in a state of unrepentant sin and that God has heard your prayer, God does and will respond immediately.

When we pray, remember:

1. The love of God that wants the best for us.
2. The wisdom of God that knows what is best for us.
3. The power of God that can accomplish it.

-      William Barclay, Prodigals and Those Who Love.

But today we shall look into two instances of delayed response to prayer.

I. AN INSTANT ANSWER THAT WAS HINDERED

Daniel was a man loved of God and a man of intense prayer. One day, while in exile in Babylon, he was seeking God, with fasting, when he saw visions and an angel, a messenger from God, who came to speak with him. This is what happened next…

Daniel 10:10-14, NIV

¹⁰A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. ¹¹He said, "Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you." And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling. ¹²Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. ¹³But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. ¹⁴Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come."

Daniel’s prayer was heard on day one and an answer was dispatched in instant response to it. But the answer was delayed by twenty-one days due to an angelic war.

What can we learn from this?

1.  Assuming that our prayer is heard instantly and even assuming that God sends us an instant response it is not a guarantee that the answer will arrive the moment it is dispatched.

2.  Our lives as God’s people and our prayers are inextricably bound with events on earth and in heavenly realms too.

Ephesians 6:12, NIV

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

3.  As Christians, we have ‘direct access’ to the throne of God but very often, He chooses to work out his purposes in and through men and angels.

II. A DELAYED ANSWER THAT WAS CAREFULLY TIMED

Acts 10:1-2, NIV

¹ At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. ² and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.

Cornelius and his family were devout and God-fearing Gentiles and it was in the place of prayer that God revealed Himself to him.

We have to seriously consider that one of the best prayers that we can ask a seeker to pray is, “If you are the true and living God, reveal yourself to me.”

Jeremiah 29:13, NIV

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Hebrews 11:6, NIV

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

a. The Prayer Was Repeated

We don’t know how and when any of his prayers were answered in the past but at this time it would appear that they were cumulatively presented before the throne of God.

Another story that clearly shows the importance of persistence in prayer is in 1 Kings 18 where God tells Elijah to go to the king and announce that it’s going to rain after a 3 year drought.

Elijah duly gives the king the weather forecast and then he crouches down with his face between his knees (the traditional posture for giving birth) and prays his heart out.

Even though God wants to send the rain, Elijah has to pray and ask God seven times before his servant spots a cloud on the horizon and Elijah knows that his prayer has accomplished what it was meant to.

In the Bible, seven is the number of completion. Elijah prayed in line with God’s will and agreed with God’s plans until his prayers accumulated and he birthed the rain of God. By agreeing with God’s plans we release them on earth.

“God does nothing on earth save in answer to believing prayer.” John Wesley

It is God’s way because He’s given us the authority over the earth. God has put us in charge and releases His power through us... and particularly through our prayers.

Acts 10:3-6, NIV

³ One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!" ⁴ Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. ⁵ The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. ⁶ He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea."

Like Daniel, Cornelius had a vision and the agent of answered prayer was an angel who gave him instructions to bring Peter back to his house. 

We must not forget that human beings are locked in a space-time continuum.

b. The Time Was Right

Time and time again in scripture we see that God is not in a hurry. Trusting God is in control, that He is good, and that He gives good gifts means trusting that His timing makes better sense than our timing.

The time was right for the Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth to bring the good news of Jesus Christ into the Gentile world.

Note the progression of the fulfillment of Acts 1:8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

In Acts 2, the Jerusalem church was born at Pentecost.

In Acts 8, Philip goes to Samaria, meets and shares the gospel with the Ethiopian eunuch, who was saved.

In Acts 9, Saul was converted.

Acts 9:31, NIV

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

Acts 10:6-8, NIV

⁶ He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea." ⁷ When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. ⁸ He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

The time was right. Have you ever wondered why God did not simply allow the angel to share the gospel with Cornelius? That’s because God delights to partner with and use human agents.

The trouble with human agents is that they are willful creatures. Jonah is a prime example. Likewise, God had to prepare Peter first before He could use him.

c. The Person Was Ready

Acts 10:9-20, NIV

⁹ About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. ¹⁰He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. ¹¹He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. ¹²It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. ¹³Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat." ¹⁴"Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean." ¹⁵The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." ¹⁶This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. ¹⁷While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate. ¹⁸They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. ¹⁹While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Simon, three men are looking for you. ²⁰So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them."

A God-fearer like Cornelius would have no objection socializing with the Jews, but even a moderately orthodox Jew would not willingly enter the dwelling of a Gentile, even if he were a God-fearer, for to enter the home of a non-Jew would somehow contaminate him or make him unclean.

God had to give Peter a vision to indicate that the gospel could and should go to the gentiles, who seemed the furthest from God.  Peter did not receive this word at first, so God had to repeat Himself, prompt Peter through the Holy Spirit and confirm His will with the arrival of Cornelius’s servants.  

The vision changed Peter’s attitude toward Gentiles: "God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean" (Acts 10:28). With this understanding, he invited the men into Simon's home and later he freely entered the home of Cornelius.

In prayer we align ourselves with God’s plans and purposes. Without prayer, Peter may have missed God’s leading. When we pray, we need to listen to God.  Be aware of the promptings He gives us and the people He brings to our minds.  God is pleased to remind us of our purpose and send us in any new direction when we simply come to Him in prayer with ears to listen.  

Does God have to change some of our mind-sets, attitudes and prejudices that are hindering the work of God in our lives or the lives of others?

Just as the seeker is wise to pray, “God reveal yourself to me” so the believer is wise to pray, “God show me what you want me to do.”  God will answer both prayers.

Peter was the answer to Cornelius’s prayer. Have you ever considered that you could be someone’s answered prayer?  

CONCLUSION

We often ask: Will God answer my prayers? When will God answer my prayers? We may even ask, How will God answer my prayers? We have many questions regarding prayer, but have you ever thought, or asked: “Where are my prayers!?” 

The Bible tells us that Cornelius’ prayers and generosity to the needy “have come up as a memorial offering before God.” We are told in The Book of Revelation that deeds on earth are recorded in books in heaven (Rev. 20:21, Dan. 7:10; Ps. 56:8; Mal. 3:16) and that prayers are also being stored up.

Revelation 5:7-8, NIV

⁷ He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. ⁸ And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

What a comfort it is to know that our prayers are so precious to God that they are stored in golden bowls. They are kept in heaven and the answers will come in the fullness of time.

This is just one reason why we “ought always to pray and not to give up.” Our past prayers may yet be accumulating, even the ones we’ve forgotten may yet come up as a memorial before The Lord!

No doubt you have your story of frustrations in prayer. Take heart. Persistence does not guarantee that you will get what you asked for, but it does promise you will get something better and actually closer to your heart’s deepest desire.

If He is making you wait, there is a very good reason for it. If He is telling you “no” today, maybe it’s because He has a better “yes” waiting for you tomorrow.

Wherever you are at today know that God is right beside you and that there is a purpose for you. Even if that purpose is to wait.

Don’t give up just because you don’t see anything happening today. Maybe there is nothing physically happening that your eyes can see but there is definitely something happening in the spiritual realm as you learn to rely on Christ. He is preparing someone

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” – Psalm 27:14

Today, I would like you to also look at prayer beyond the I-Me-Myself perspective. What if, like Peter God wants you to be someone else’s answered prayer?

If you and I today are to be usable to someone for God’s purpose, we need to ask ourselves the following:

• Am I available, set apart, useful to the Master?
• Am I listening for His promptings? Am I preoccupied with my agenda?
• If I sense His prompting, am I willing to respond?
• If I am unavailable, unprepared, or insensitive to His promptings, the Master may use someone else, and I will miss the blessing (Esther 4:14, 15).

God is looking for vessels He can use—those that are clean, available, and useful. He will prompt and dispatch His servants to carry out His ministry. Will you be alert to His promptings? Will you be available for the Lord to use you to answer someone else’s prayer?