Of course we have all heard, "God will take care of this, or in God's timing." Friends or Church family assure us, that God hears us,and you just have to have faith. That's all true, but those words just automatically tumble out to reassure someone in crisis. Sometimes that's all they are, words!
We believers also know that God does answer prayer, but not always how we have it planned. We need to look to the character of God. He is not a magic genie trapped in a bottle. We can't summon Him by rubbing a bottle, and expect Him to do our biding. Our prayers are not about us, but a way of communicating with our Savior, our Lord. He absolutely wants you to approach Him with your wants and needs, but He wants your heart first!
After walking with Him, learning some hard lessons from Him, I have learned to rely on His plans. I have learned patience, and to wait for Him to answer. Do I have that totally right? No! I am too human for that, but I am getting better. I trust Jesus totally with my life, my family, and I know He is trustworthy. It is never easy, but I have learned a few things about prayer, and God's answers.
God has answered yes, almost before the prayer is out of my mouth. Other times, He very clearly says No. Most of the time, He says wait! Waiting, I have learned consists of a loving Father orchestrating what is best for me. I am still a child, so I don't always recognize what is good for me. What I have learned is that just because I can't see God working out my problem, doesn't mean He isn't putting a plan together. He is there rearranging circumstances to give me the best for me.
I have learned that I may think the plan is the perfect plan, only to have God shut that door. He may present many "look like" solutions for me, but each one is shut down. Why? In my case, and in the case of various friends, because God has a better plan. As He directs me to the path that is for me, He has to shut doors, so I will keep going until I am standing in front of the right door. When that happens, every detail falls into place perfectly. God's perfect plan or solution for my needs.
The hardest of all is understanding why a loving God would make us wait, or why He would give us that crisis, or problem in the first place. "How can a loving God do that to me?" Why me Lord?"
How many times you feel like God doesn't care. We yell at Him, we get angry, we lose hope. Been there? Of course we all have. It also seem
s to all hit at once. We may have a problem, and before that's resolved, another, and another hits. At those times, we yell out, "I can't take any more! Where are you God?
I asked God that once. It was as though He were in the room with me, and audibly said, " I did not go anywhere, you stepped away from me." That was an eye opener. As I grow and learn, I have learned, God is always on time, but usually it is a plan I would not have thought of. It is so much better, and far more of a blessing than I could have imagined.
Why doesn't God grant our every wish? For one thing, He knows what lies ahead. He knows us so completely, he knows what is good for us. God uses these wait times not only to teach me, but He uses my experiences to help others. The more trouble I experience, the more I wait for answers, the more joyous my heart, when the crisis is resolved. In that huge relief, I can first hand minister to someone else waiting for answered prayer. I can walk someone else through, and help them make sense from their wait. Because of what God has done, and does do for me, I can relate to others. I can better help them not lose heart. Why me Lord? Why not? It will always be my training ground, and my ministry for others!
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