Why Does It Take So Long For An Answer to Prayer?

My wife Crystal and I used to live in Texas. We bought our first house there. It cost us 42K, had 3 bedrooms and had a mortgage payment of about $365. Our address was 209 Easy Street. Yep. We were literally living on Easy Street. Based on that house payment, it was probably the easiest street we will ever live on.

Thinking back to that time, we didn't have a whole lot of money. I was in the US Army and I think we were probably making about $1300 dollars a month, which looking back is not much money at all. During those times, I remember how we would pray for provision in our house. That God would take care of us, and that we would be able to pay our bills.

I can also remember how back then we really wanted a new vehicle.

I know, it seems excessive, but it was really the desire of our hearts to have a different vehicle than the one we had at the time. The one we had was OK, but it wasn't the one that we truly wanted.

One day, I think it may have been a Saturday, we went to a new car dealership and looked at new vehicles. This was in 1998 before kids or anything, which matters, because I remember us sitting in that vehicle by ourselves, holding hands, and praying that God would bless us with that vehicle.

After we had prayed, since we couldn't afford that vehicle, we went home. For a really long time I prayed and wondered if we would get that thing. I know, this has nothing to do with my happiness, or my ability to live, or my salvation, but I'm proving a point here. Stick with me.

Here's my point. It doesn't matter what we pray for, its hard to wait for the answer. It truly doesn't matter what it is, because if we prayed for it, its important to us, and therefore important to God. And sometimes, it seems as if the answer to our prayer is never going to come. Ever. Can you identify with this?

Well last night on my drive home it occurred to me. I was driving the vehicle that Crystal and I had prayed for back in 1998. We had gone to the Chevrolet dealer, and sat in an brand new 1998 Chevy Suburban, and prayed that God would bless us with one. 11 years later, I'm driving a 2004 GMC Yukon (which is really a Suburban) which is a better vehicle than the one we prayed for.

Yes, it took 11 years for that prayer to be answered, but God did answer it. He gave us the desires of our heart. It may not have been on our timeline, or when we wanted it, but he did answer our prayer.

Sometimes it takes the trivial to reveal the spiritual. Your prayer may not be for a SUV, but something else. Wait. God will answer that prayer. It may take time, but sooner or later, He will answer.

Blessings
matt