Lord, Respectfully, What's Taking So Long?

Let me guess the process that led you here:

1. You had a desire for something — maybe a change in career, relationship status, family situation, financial circumstance — and prayed to God for it change

2. After praying, you waited and nothing happened

3. You prayed even more as time went on (more intensely than before)

4. You took it a step further and decided to fast on the matter to hear from God and see what’s causing the delay

5. And you still found yourself in the same circumstance

Sound about right?

This is a pretty common process that people follow when they are asking God for something. These are also the same actions that breed a great deal of frustration and dismay when prayers aren’t answered. And trust me, I get it. We have all been down this road at some point and may even be going through it right now. However, as easy as it may be to believe, God isn’t ignoring you — He has heard your prayers. Now, although I may not be able to answer why He hasn’t answered them yet, I can give you some perspective around the potential reasons why nothing has — or it may seem like nothing has — changed.

Note: This list is not exhaustive but does pinpoint some crucial factors that people often overlook that can shed some light on why your circumstance has remained the same. The key here is to take the time to think about what may apply to you and ask God for clarity in the matter.

Are Your Desires Aligned With His?

In Psalms 37:4, the Bible says, “Delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Most people skip that “delight in the Lord,” part. When you do take delight in the Lord — spending time in His presence, being obedient to His word, following His ways — your desires will ultimately align with His own. People think they are aligned with God but don’t even consult Him on their plans or give Him the chance to direct them to what He desires for their lives. Are you praying for something because you want it, or because God has placed it on your heart?

Will Answering Your Prayers Draw You Away From God?

People believe that once their prayers are answered that God will still be a priority. Truth be told, God isn’t answering some of your prayers because He knows that if He gives you that promotion, or shows you who your future bae is, that you won’t have time for Him anymore. If you think about it, you are currently living in your answered prayers — do you spend more time with God than you did before? Does your daily schedule include being in His presence and listening to His voice? God won’t give you something that will take you away from Him.

Are You The One Hindering Your Prayers?

Here’s a couple of questions to ask yourself: Are you fully obedient to God and His Word? Is God your top priority in your day-to-day life? Are you a representation of our Father in Heaven? Do you make time to study His Word? Do the things you enjoy tend to become idols in your life (e.g., forms of entertainment, jobs, money, technology and social media)? If you aren’t doing what’s necessary to build and maintain a relationship with God, how can you expect your prayers to be answered?

Are You Actually Ready for Him to Answer Your Prayers?

Have you really thought through what the results of your prayers would be? You have to consider the responsibility that would come with it, the time investment that’s necessary, the sacrifices that are required of you, amongst other things. Desires look really good from the outside until you have to put in the work to maintain it — promotions, relationships, businesses, church leadership, the list goes on.  Sometimes, we overestimate ourselves and don’t realize that God is withholding certain things from us for our own good.

Is This Prayer What God Wants For You?

You want to be a CEO, but is that what God wants for you? You think you can lead the church better, but is that what God is calling you to? You want to be married next year, but is God calling you to that level of commitment at this point in your life? Our desires and feelings are pretty fleeting. At times, we want something because we feel like it makes sense — or worse, that we “deserve” it — and so, we start asking God for things He never meant for us. God’s purpose for you may not be what you think it is; so, it’s best to ask God what He wants for you.

Is It Your Timing or God’s Timing?

I know people lowkey wish they could just snap their fingers and God would give them anything they want, but that isn’t how my Lord and Savior operates. Your perception of time and God’s perception are completely different. For you, things may be taking longer than expected but it’s still right on time for God. You can’t see it but He is working on things behind the scenes for your good. You may know what you want but God knows what you need. So, would you rather settle for having what you want right now, or receiving God’s best for you?

Have Your Prayers Already Been Answered?

And the last thing I want you to consider is if God has already answered your prayers. Sometimes, we are so focused on our prayers working out in specific ways that we miss the fact that God has already come through for us. He may just have answered your prayer in an unexpected way and your tunnel vision is hindering you from realizing it. So, are you so fixed on things being a certain way that you may have missed it? Do you truly understand how God speaks to you and are you truly watching for those signs?

As much as you’d like to have your prayers answered like yesterday, God has a reason for everything that He does because He is intentional with His every move. The problem is that we operate on our own, Earthly timing, and God has His own schedule. No matter how forward thinking we believe ourselves to be, God has already planned out the next 7 generations and beyond. This is the same God who created Heaven and Earth, and knew us before we were even formed in our mother’s womb. I think it’s safe to say He knows what He’s doing.

God wants to have a strong relationship with you but you need to be willing to follow His lead. He’s not ignoring you — He wants what’s best for you, even when you’d rather settle. In Proverbs 3:5, He says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not lean on your own understanding.” To receive God’s best, change your perspective, ask Him for clarity to understand His viewpoint and His plans, pray for patience and strength in this time, and just have some faith. When things work out, it will be better than you can imagine.