Filipino by Birth Christian by Grace

Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV) Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Just recently God has been answering requests I’ve been praying about for years. My human impatience spurs me to think, “What took You so long, Lord?” How foolish of me to question God’s timing!

If God gives us everything we ask for, surely it will not be for our good. Faith is not to be used to get things from God, but to bring us into a closer relationship with Him. We are not to increase our faith to get more “asking power”, rather, an increase in faith will help us to better worship and glorify God through trials and hardships.

Consider Joseph, son of Jacob (Genesis 37-50). When Joseph was 17, his brothers sold him into slavery. As a slave Joseph was falsely accused of adultery and thrown into prison. After all this suffering and turmoil, God arranged for Joseph to be second in command of all Egypt by the age of 30. 23 years of hardship, and there is no indication that Joseph ever complained to God. I should be ashamed for questioning God’s timing, especially for prayers He hasn’t answered after a year or two!

A more important lesson is this - even if God does not answer our prayers according to our desire, we should still worship and glorify Him.

Consider Job, who lost all his possessions, his family, and even his health. After God took all these things away, Job “arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God. (Job 1:20-22 NASB) What great Trust in the Lord! This is the product of great faith - worshiping the Lord regardless of the circumstances he puts in our lives. Not that we should be masochistic and desire pain, but we should be thankful to God for strengthening our faith through these trials.

James 1:2-4 (NIV) Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Lastly, an important thing to consider when praying is this: Jesus Christ already died for you on the cross, suffering great agony so that your sins my be forgiven through faith in Him. Considering that, who are you to demand that God gives you a new car? A new cell phone? A new job? Be thankful for what God has provided you, regardless of the circumstances God places in your life. Such trust and faith in God will help you mature in your relationship with Him.