How Long Must You Wait?
Is your problem waiting or trusting?
We’re all surrounded by people who are waiting for something: a new job opportunity, funding for their next big venture, wisdom for a difficult leadership situation.
The list is endless.
Trust is a tricky thing. When I tell God I trust him, he will test that trust to develop my character. When I pray for my family or business needs, God seems to wait the longest in the circumstances where I need his answer the quickest.
“Trust me,” he says (Psalm 32:8). “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”
When I pray, I believe God listens. Like many of us, I often wonder if he hears me. I trust that he will answer, and I wait for the time he decides is best.
“Even while we’re praying and waiting, we can’t be sitting still. If we’re moving, it helps to move in the right direction. Don’t panic.
Whatever you are experiencing now, this time in your life is part of God’s deliberate purpose to change you, mold you, and conform to the person He has always intended you to be.” from
God often seems to answer prayers when the need is the greatest, so he will be glorified the most by his timely answer to our need.
Ironically, after God answers, I will find myself praying and trusting less.
When God answers a prayer, we have two choices:
Keep praying and trusting to receive more of his blessing, or
Relax and let our guard down, because our prayer is answered.
God keeps reminding me that we should never stop praying or trusting. That’s why he tells us in 1 Thessalonians, “never stop praying.”
Trust, prayer, and waiting are all part of God’s beautiful process of refining and shaping us, equipping us to become more like Jesus.