How to respond to divine delays
Have you asked God for healing on illness, financial blessings, a job, a harmonious relationship and other prayer concerns which He has not answered yet?
I, too, have my own prayer concerns that are still unanswered until now. We just have to wait because God knows what is best for us. We have to be persistent with our prayers and not give up because something good is going to happen if we only have our full trust in the Lord.
The God’s Career Guide website has this to say, “God delays because His ways are not your ways. Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds, “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 higher than your thoughts.”
"God's ways are higher,” says our source. “Trust that he has a divine purpose for His delay. Your viewpoint is limited, but God sees all things. Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” God may be putting everything in place before revealing His answer to you. Our source cites the following reasons why God delays: God delays so you can demonstrate your faith. Galatian 6:9 tells you how to wait for God. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Respond to God ‘s delay with faith, not doubt. God guarantees a harvest, and it will arrive at the proper time. Hebrew 10:36 says, “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God you will receive what He has promise. To persevere is to endure with an expectation of victory.
God delays so he can bless your waiting. Isaiah 30:18 promises, “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him.” Those who wait for God will be blessed by God. God will take care of you and show you His compassion while you are waiting for Him.
God delays so he can be glorified in the end. Christians are still talking about His miracle today. In John 11:40, at the end of Lazarus story, Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God.” God’s delay is not His denial.
How should we respond to divine delays? The christiantoda.com cites the following ways on how we should respond to divine delays:
Allow it to refine your character. “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them." (Roman 8: 28 . ) This simply means that when there’s a delay, God is using that for His purpose, and we should let Him.
Allow it to develop your patience in seeking God. We have to allow divine delays to help us persistently seek God. We shouldn’t grow weary because of delays. Rather, delays should cause us to persistently wait on God.
Allow it to enhance your trust in God in bad times. Delays are opportunities for us to grow our trust in the Lord, who is in control of all things, even if circumstances seem to favor the wicked.