I don’t think there is anyone that hasn’t wrestled with this before. Why do we need to wait sometimes before our prayers are answered? Can’t it just happen immediately?

Psalm 27:14 AMP Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord.

Years ago when I was a primary school teacher, God taught me something about prayers that don’t always get answered immediately. In that time, I had a lot of personal pain and issues that needed healing. My selfworth and confidence were nonexistent and I struggled to stay positive.

God gave us a mission as a class where we had to go and minister to a nearby school. We had to go into each primary school classroom and pray for the teachers and the students. This was something that I wasn’t confident in doing because of my insecurities. I did do it because I always wanted to obey God, even when all of me was against it.

During that time I had to push myself out of my comfort zone by obeying what I felt God told me to do. The Lord taught me not to go on what I feel because my negative emotions towards myself or others would betray me. I had to push against my feelings of being inadequate and believe what God’s word said about me.

God allowed me to teach His word to the children in my class every morning for devotions and by doing this, He started healing my pain and trauma from the past. He knows exactly when to put us in a place where He can heal us. He especially puts us in places where we do not feel adequate at all, where we feel more worthless than ever. Ever wondered why He allows that? It is to help you see that you have pain that needs Him to heal.

The one morning I was speaking to Jesus about revival and about Him wanting me to pray for our school and schools in our country for revival. I was very excited to see the fruit on my prayer for revival when it happened. God spoke to me and said that He won’t always show me the fruit on my labor. I was taken aback by this, but I chose to believe that God knew best and that He loves me. I told my collegue what God had said and without me knowing, she started praying that God would have mercy on me and show me at least a glimpse.

In my last month at this school, I called my class together for some prayer. The Lord showed me there was oppression in our midst and we had to sort it out. Everyone had a chance to speak and Holy Spirit fell on us and repentance and forgiveness started flowing from our lips. All of a sudden, the children made groups and started praying for one another, one girl stood on my chair, she took the Bible and started reading the word, the boys were praying, one Porteguese girl started walking up and down the classroom, speaking in tongues; some were crying, some were laughing. It was amazing. My collegue and I were standing amazed by what we saw, Holy Spirit had invaded the space and God was busy encountering each student in that classroom. My heart was overcome with joy because I had thought that God wouldn’t show me any fruit. My collegue then told me that she asked God to show me a glimpse of the fruit. I never saw the fruit of our prayer for the other school and I didn’t expect to see it, I trusted that God knew best and I surrendered to that.

Many years after this incident, I had still not seen fruit on my prayers and the effort I have put into peoples lives. After much healing, deliverance and dealing with my selfworth, I asked the Lord about the fruit thing. His answer was, “That time of your life you were struggling with legitimacy issues, I love you so much that I couldn’t give you what you wanted because if I did, you would’ve fallen into a trap by taking the glory for yourself. Pride would’ve swallowed you and the enemy would’ve wiped you out. I couldn’t allow that.” WOW, LORD!

One can easily think, “God doesn’t love me”, “I did something wrong and that is why God doesn’t answer me or give me my hearts desire.” Is this really true? We need to start thinking differently. God is LOVE and God is Good, always. Isn’t LOVE busy protecting you by not answering yet? When we pray, “Your kingdom come and Your will be done”, doesn’t it mean that we are asking God to intervene and do it the way He thinks best? What we desire or want is not always good for us – it can destroy us. That is why we ask that God’s will be done, so that He can save us from ourselves.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

When God revealed to me why He didn’t show me the fruit of my labor I was so blessed. God’s ways are not our ways. I would’ve never thought God was busy protecting me by not giving me what I desired. I actually said to God that I don’t mind if He doesn’t show me the fruit; if this is a vulnerability in me, He can keep it away. All I want to do is please Him, do His will and walk in His ways. To be His hands and feet and to love and serve the broken.

Beloved, believe that He knows best, believe that He has got your back and believe that He will open the way. Expect Him to do it in His time and in His way. We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. Hang in there, He is always busy doing something behind the scenes while we are patiently waiting for an answer.

Let’s pray – Abba Father, what an amazing dad You are. Your ways are truly not my ways. I ask forgiveness for many times blaming You for leaving me and for not carrying my interests at heart, I repent. Please forgive me for getting mad and throwing tantrums when things don’t work out the way I think it should. I surrender to you Lord, I choose to give up my way so that Your kingdom can come and Your will be done in my life in Jesus name. Please have Your way in my life and thank you for protecting me because You love me. In Jesus name. Amen.

Psalm130:5 I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait,
And in His word do I hope.

Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

Micah 7:7 But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation.
My God will hear me.