Watching and Praying

 Sunset

Atlantic Ocean  2010

Genesis 25:21 NIV

"Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant."

I read inspiring stories all the time of people who have had prayers answered. A lost child was found. A wounded soldier was healed. A family rescued from a flood.  A comforting dream about a deceased family member. All these are just a few events of many where God has answered the prayers of people in need.

I wondered tonight, how long do we have to wait for prayers to be answered?  Isaac did well with his prayer for Rebekah, and she became pregnant after God heard his prayer. They seemed to receive an immediate response.

I can remember though, as a child, praying for patience. Ask my students how well that worked out for me today. I'll just say the full moon was tough on all of us. Obviously, I'm still waiting for the ever-elusive "perfect patience in the heat of the moment" prayer to be answered.

I prayed in college to have my writing accepted for publication. Thirty years later, my prayer is about to be answered.

However, I have also had God immediately stand the gap for me on Sundays when I have gone up front of the congregation and led the Children's Moments at church. If He weren't there with me answering my, "Please, God, help me get my point across to the kids this morning" prayer, then I would be a mess.  I'm so glad He answers that prayer immediately and not thirty years later.

I don't know why we are put through the fire and tested on some of our prayer requests. I examine what I am praying for and make sure the wording is reasonable. If it is, then I need to have patience and faith in God.  There are people in the Bible who had to wait a long time to have their prayers answered, and some people didn't get what they thought they were going to get when they prayed.

We see through a glass darkly on Earth, so our answers here are incomplete. I can only trust God and hold on until His perfect timing reveals to me His perfect plan for my life.

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Lord, help me to hold on to faith and hope as I wait (patiently) for prayers to be answered.