I’ve been waiting for God to answer a certain prayer for a long time. You don’t need to know the details, but it’s pretty important to me. Everyday I talk to Him about it. Ok, I admit, sometimes it’s more pleading than talking. It’s just so hard waiting for Him to answer. I’m afraid He’ll say “No”, but also terrified He’ll say “Yes” because, when that happens, everything changes.
Waiting on the Lord is sometimes difficult, but lately, something has been changing. No, not in this thing I’ve been praying about. The change is in me. The more time I’ve spent talking to God about this, the less important it’s become for me. I still want it, but I’ve found something else I want more – this closeness with God I’ve found from spending so much time struggling with Him.
It’s sort of a settling in my soul, a realization that what really matters is not getting what I want, but wanting what I’ve got. It’s being satisfied with the way things are, if that’s what God wants them to be. I guess that’s what Paul was talking about when he said, ”I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” (Philippians 4:11 NIV).
It’s okay to want something good really bad. Jesus even said we should “should always pray and not give up.” (Luke 18:1). I think sometimes, however, God doesn’t answer our prayers right away, because He wants something better for us – a relationship with Him.
If God gave us what we ask for right away, we’d say “Thanks” and be on our merry way, missing out on the chance to get to know Him better. So, instead, He makes us wait, lets us struggle with Him in prayer, and the more time we struggle, the more we learn to trust. He gives us time to grow closer to Him and, in the end, that is the best gift of all.
Jesus promised His Father “will give you whatever you ask in [Jesus’] name.” (John 16:23). But you may have to wait a while before you get an answer. This isn’t always easy, but the wait is always worth it in the end. So, while you’re waiting for God to answer, make good use of the time to get to know Him better. You may just find He’s what you’ve been waiting for all along.