Something powerful and eternally significant is happening as we wait for the answer to our prayers.

We have asked but have not received –

sought, but as of yet haven’t found it –

knocked but no one has come to the door!

God has asked us to appeal to Him,

we have taken Him up on the offer,

but still we wait.

Last week we studied ‘waiting on God’ and why it’s so difficult for us. This week we begin to investigate things going on ‘behind the curtain’ that are affecting the delay.

Keep this in mind… while we are waiting, God is working. He’s always working. Our prayers and requests are never shelved and there has never been a sincere prayer made that didn’t make it to the Father and been acted upon.

When Lazarus was dying, Jesus received the news, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” John 11:3 From our perspective it appears He has waited too long, yet He did go to Bethany and we thrill to the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead after four days in the grave. But before this, something significant happened. Jesus followed the sisters and the many who mourned with them to the grave, and here “He wept.” John 11:35 NIV

His sisters believed Jesus could heal their brother. Their requests were proper. Our prayers follow the path they took to get Jesus to meet a very serious need. AND HE’S THERE TO ANSWER THEIR PRAYERS. But first, the shortest verse in the Bible (John 11:35) tells us that “Jesus wept.”

He cried, not because of their unbelief, nor because they were asking Him to do what He didn’t want to do. No… Jesus was touched with their grief, His heart bonded with them as His heart is bonded with yours as you tearfully, with faith ask for Him to answer your prayers.

Never think that while out of sight, God quits caring. He never wastes our tears and our requests are constantly moving Him to His solutions for us. Yet during this time of waiting, don’t you dare lose your faith.

God knows that when we believe with no answer in sight and little evidence of being on the way, our faith stretches.  I love the Passion Translation of Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen.”

You will suddenly see why God kept you waiting.

What does God work at while we wait on Him? That will be next week’s devotional.