Hebrews 11:1-6 – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the men of old gained approval. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. 4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” NASB

A few years ago, I was in need of a miracle and the timeframe the situation seemed to demand had passed and the answer had not come.  Did that mean that God denied my request?  Possibly.  Did it mean that I was praying outside the will of God? Possibly.   Did it mean either of those or could I conclude that it was not meant to be?  Possibly.

You could conclude those things, or you could conclude that God, the Creator who is not limited by our clock or calendar, has a different timeframe and plan in mind.  I choose the latter because I fully believed that my prayers were within the guidelines of the Word of God.  I was praying and walking in obedience to that Word, and therefore was within the scope of The Will of God. 

We have the assurance that God is our provider, protector, and source, have hoped for the things we have asked, and are convinced that He has heard our prayers.  When we do not see the fulfillment in our timeframe giving up is not the best option.  I am reminded of the record of the patriarchs of old, who kept looking for and standing in Faith knowing He is our Reward!   The Bible said, “They all died in faith not having received the promises.”  In my case, the Answer Came!

What should we conclude when the miracle does not come at the time, we asked for it?  Possibly nothing other than it is in God’s hands and we should remain faithful and resolute in our commitment to Him, obedience to Him, and confidence in Him.  Of course, I always go back to the Father and the Book and seek to know if I am missing the mark in my prayers.

If the Holy Spirit reveals that, as James said, we have asked amiss and for wrong purposes then it is time to head to the altar of repentance and cry out for God’s mercy and allow the Holy Spirit to correct our thinking.  I do not live in a ‘Que Sera, Sera’ whatever will be type world.  That is the way the world operates, but God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts than our thoughts. 

I believe there is purpose and power in prayer and that prayer changes people and as a result, things.  If prayer has no purpose, why did Jesus spend so much time encouraging it?  If prayer does not produce results, why did He tell us to pray with persistence? 

Our problem is that we try to force God into our microwave world mentality and coerce Him to follow our calendars, clocks, and schedules. He Will Not be squeezed into our timeline of demand!  He is God and He will do things His way, in His time, and under His conditions and it is always for our best good.

You cannot bribe Him, coerce Him, force Him, manipulate Him, or cajole Him into doing something.  He is the Shepherd we are the sheep.   He is the Teacher we are the students.  He is the Infinite One we are the finite ones.  So instead of fretting about your timelines and schedules seek His face and if there is a delay it may be nothing more than God following His own timetable rather than denial.

Be encouraged as you go through this day!  Blessings abundantly!