Why does God delay answering our prayers, meeting that need, solving that problem, fixing that circumstance, or addressing that pain?
God Wants to Deal With You Completely
God doesn’t want to fix the outside and leave your inside messed up. He doesn’t want to answer your external circumstance while leaving your internal circumstance the way He found it. He wants to fix the root cause of the problem.
Maybe you’ve been praying for God to fix your circumstances without healing your soul. So God chooses to delay your blessing because He is working on your heart.
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God Wants to Show His Sovereignty
God may also delay His answer so that He can show His sovereignty. Sovereignty means that He is in control. He wants to use the situation to show His greater glory.
An example would be in John 11 when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother was sick and they were calling for help. When Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, He delayed going to see him for two days. He told His disciples, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
He wanted Lazarus’s death to glorify God.
God Wants to Increase Your Faith
Maybe He is delaying His answer to increase your faith. The only way to grow in faith is to go through difficult circumstances—realizing that you need to trust God and what He is doing. If you get what you want immediately, you may never learn to trust Him. You will miss the experience of seeing His perfect timing and faithfulness.
You May Not Be Ready Yet
Another reason God could be delaying your breakthrough is because you are not yet ready for it. God has recently shown me this in my waiting season. Just this past month my husband and I thought I was pregnant only for the test to show that I wasn’t.
Now God has told me that we are going to have children. So I questioned God and asked Him “Why was the test negative?”
God graciously told me that I am not yet ready.
He uses the example of the Israelites coming out of Egypt. When they first left Egypt God decided to take them the longer route to get to the Red Sea because if they went the shorter route they would have to go into battle. And God said the Israelites would change their minds and want to go back to Egypt if they had to face war right away. They were not ready for war. So, He guided them on a longer path.
Later on, we see that in order to conquer the promised land that God promised them, they would have to go to war. So, on their way to the promised land, they had to conquer many lands in order to pass through them. God showed them that it wasn’t them that conquered the lands. It was God who gave them the victory each time. They had to trust and rely on God to see them through. They gained experience with every battle which prepared them to fight for the promised land.
This is what God does. He wants what is best for us. What we think is good for us is not God’s best. God is preparing us before He gives us the blessing. We are gaining experience. We just need to trust that He knows what He is doing.
Even though I was disappointed, I had to realize that God’s plans are better than my plans. And that I surely didn’t want to have a baby if I wasn’t ready for it!
👉 During this time, I’ve learned that diving into God’s Word is what keeps me grounded. That’s actually why I wrote Unleash God’s Word in Your Life —to help others build a strong foundation of faith no matter what season they’re in. If you’re feeling stuck or weary while waiting, this book will walk you through how to connect with God through His Word and experience real peace and direction. https://www.amazon.com/Unleash-Gods-Word-Your-Life/dp/B0DYRMQ6Q3
Praise God While You Wait
If you have been praying for a long time, I want you to do something for me: praise Him! Ask Him how He wants to get the glory from your situation. And thank Him for what He has already done in your life. Praising Him will get your mind off of yourself and on the one who will take care of your circumstance.
When I praise God I usually turn on some Christian music and sing to it. I go into my prayer room and just listen and sing for about 20 minutes or so. You can do it however long you want. There is no right or wrong way. Praising Him can be so powerful. It not only glorifies God but it allows Him to be a part of your current situation and in return it will help you feel His peace.
CONCLUSION
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