Praying with a patient heart…
Have you ever prayed about something, hoping for a quick fix, but instead, the waiting made you uncertain if your prayers were even being heard? I know I have felt this way a few times, especially in instances with my OCD, when a thought or worry would not let up. However, in my situation, I can look back and realize that God was using this battle to strengthen me and also teach me to trust Him with the worry. But, often, our timing does not align with God’s timing, and we have to be patient in allowing His plan to fall into place.
As I read the book of Nehemiah a few weeks ago, I realized that his initial prayer for help was not in the same month as when his opportunity arose to request assistance from the king. In Nehemiah 1, where he initially prays, verse one notes, “…And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year…” (Nehemiah 1:1 KJV). However, in chapter two, when the conversation with the king opens the door for Nehemiah’s request, the date is noted as, “…the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king….” (Nehemiah 2:1 KJV). So, Nehemiah’s initial prayer was not answered instantly but in God’s timing, according to God’s plan.
Then this past week, in preparation for Christmas, I studied Luke, chapter one. In this chapter, we are told of Zacharias and his wife, Elisabeth, that they have no children, and that they are up in age. Luke 1:7 details, “And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they were both well stricken in years” (KJV). However, as the story continues, an angel appears to Zacharias informing him that God has heard his prayer and that he and his wife are going to have a son: “But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John” (Luke 1:13 KJV).
Now, if the angel says that God has heard Zachariah’s prayer, we can be led to believe that Zacharias has been praying for a child, and the scripture does not give the specific time frame or details of his prayer, but I would think if Zacharias and Elisabeth are getting quite old, he has been praying about this for a while, probably years. Again, the scripture does not say, but I would find it hard to believe this was a sudden last-minute request.
But then, if we stop and think about the purpose of Zacharias and Elisabeth’s son, we know that God had a plan and a purpose for the exact time in which John was to be born.
What an amazing example of God’s timing and a lesson of humble prayer, patience, and faith…
And it all shows that our Father is in control, and His plan is always best.
