I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. -Psalms 17:6
If you have ever been in church before then you have heard your pastor say when it comes to prayer that God responds in one of three ways, “Yes, No, and Wait.” Maybe you have even heard me say it. If I am to be honest though here for a moment, wait, is probably the most frustrating answer. Especially when you feel that day in and day out that continues to be the answer. Your patience’s starts to wear thin and you find your self trying to barter with God saying just give me an answer already.
Well, like God has been doing lately, He taught me a lesson on it this morning through Eli. So recently I have been getting up close to 6 to go downstairs and have some alone time before the boys get up. I had just gotten done doing a little reading and I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Then here comes little man Eli. Right away, “Daddy, I want McQueen.” (His way of saying he wants to watch the movie Cars.). “In a little bit buddy.” I replied. How about you go play with your trains instead.” He looks at me kinda confused, still trying to wake up, “No, I want it now.” (Does his answer sound familiar when it comes to or prayers to God?) The more demanding he got the more I wanted to say no. After a few moments I saw his little feet scamper off towards his play room. Then after about 5 minutes he came back, “Daddy, can I pwease have some chocolate milk?” How can you deny that when you know my kids pouty face? So of course I went and got him some. Then as I sat back down he asked me again about “McQueen,” this time actually asking and not demanding.
So as I sat and thought about the moment, I couldn’t help but start to laugh to myself about what God was trying to teach me. How many times do we pray demanding God for an answer right here, right now. Coming before Him on our terms, thinking we totally know what we want and when we want it. What if God is trying to protect us in making us wait? What if we aren’t quite ready for his answer?
“But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” Micah 7:7
Yesterday, I was making Eli and Silas pancakes. I had just mixed up the batter, including raw eggs. Well, both boys kept trying to reach for the bowl, just wanting it right then, not willing to wait until they were made. I kept having to move the bowl around the room to keep them from eating it. Why? Because, I didn’t want them to have the batter? No, because I didn’t want them to get sick. So they had to wait. They couldn’t understand in the moment that I was trying to protect them, but as their dad I knew what was best.
Garth Brooks famously writes that some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers. I understand what he is saying and am a huge Garth fan, but I disagree in that statement. We confuse God’s answer of no, or wait with Him not hearing or answering. I believe with everything I am that our Heavenly Father answers, just not always how we think He should of wan5 Him to.
You may not like this but I write all this to say, today when you pray and God tells you, “yes, no, or wait,” that maybe He has his reasons that we can’t always see or understand. Oh wait He is Lord and not us, so yeah that’s right, He does have a 100 percent guaranteed reason for giving you the answer He gives. Who is on the throne in your life? You or Him? Then trust that he is responding in the way he is for a reason.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9