Delayed Not Denied

When I brought him up out of the water, his wife's joy was impossible to miss.  Her tears of joy ran down her cheeks stretched wide by the smile that spread across her face.  For thirty years she had been praying that he would accept Christ Jesus as his Lord - today was the day.

Though delayed for three decades, her prayer had not been denied.  The why behind the delay is hard to say but that the prayer was answered is clear.  As Solomon once wrote, "There is a time and a season for everything" (Eccl 3:1).  We may not know the time or the season but God does.  And he can be trusted to act in due season.

Behind the scenes, it could be as simple as allowing someone the time to be ready for the blessing.  As Dr. Dobson once said, "It takes a steady hand to hold a full cup."  You wouldn't give your three-year old a shotgun or your ten-year old a car, regardless of how much they plead or how often they present their case.  You are waiting until you know they are ready, not when they think they are.

It can also be that factors beyond your knowledge are in play, which prevent a more rapid response to your request, such as with Daniel: "Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days" (Dan 10:12-13).

We need to understand that we live live in a war zone, behind enemy lines.  And that our battle is not carried out in the physical and seeable realm "but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph 6:12).  While we may think our prayer is unheard or denied, God may be moving heaven and earth to bring about our blessing.

I am not suggesting that He will never deny our prayers as some requests are ill-conceived.  And, certainly God's will cannot be set aside for our desires.  Rather, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears.  And if we know that he hears us---whatever we ask---we know that we have what we asked of him" (1 Jn 5:14-15).

My point: When we bring our requests to God, he is faithful.  We do not have to fear that God will fail to do the right and good thing.  He will act in our best interests because "God is love" (1 Jn 4:8; 18).  Our best interests may mean a rapid response but just as easily a delay could be what we truly need in order to prepare us or increase our faith.

A delay is not a denial although a denial may be God's choice as his desire to truly bless us overrides our desire to receive what we ask.  Jus' Say'n.