Delay in answer to prayers

DELAY IN ANSWER TO PRAYERS

Memory verse:

Call upon me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you know not.

Jeremiah 33:3.

Texts:

1 Kings 18:42-44; Luke 11:5-10.

INTRODUCTION

Even though the Lord our God has promised to answer our prayers, as well as meet our other needs, we can see from our texts, at times, the answers don’t come instantly. They often seem to be delayed or are actually delayed.

When we experience a delay in meeting our expectations, does it mean that God is not interested in answering us? In the course of this study, we would see that the causes of delay in answers to prayers include human, spiritual negative forces and divine purposes. Let’s consider them briefly

1. Human reasons why we may experience a delay in answer to prayers:

•  SIN 59:1-4.

When we deal with sin in our lives, we make it easier to receive answers to our prayers. A Christian who meddles with sin at will might often experience a delay in getting God to meet his demands.

• BITTERNESS AND UNFORGIVENESS. Mk11:25-26.

Forgiveness from the Lord on our part is predicated on us forgiving others. If we harbour unforgiveness, we would not create the right atmosphere for God to function. In fact, unforgiveness breaks down the relationship with God and destroys/distorts His programme, our own sins not being forgiven by God, which has serious spiritual implications, and therefore causes a delay to prayer answers.

• FAITHLESSNESS AND TRUSTING IN MAN. Isaiah 31:1, Jeremiah 17:5.

The nature of people’s hearts determines the response they are likely to get from God. He knows when our trust is in Him, Nahum 1:7. A faithless Christian is like a wave of the sea, tossed to and fro. Apostle James says such a person would not get the answer to his prayer, James 1:6-8; Hebrew 10:38.

• IMPATIENCE Hebrew 10:36; Luke 18:7-8.

Closely related to faithlessness is impatience. Patience is a great virtue and imperative if we must receive from God. But when we demonstrate a lack of patience, we cause a delay to the answers we expect of God for our prayers.

     2. Some spiritual negative forces why we might experience a delay in the answer to our prayers include:

• NEGATIVE/FAULTY FAMILY FOUNDATIONS. Exodus 20:5; Isaiah 14:21.

It is important to know our foundations to see whether there are iniquities committed by our fathers that may be speaking against their generations. Such iniquities can constitute a delay in answers to prayers. Some faulty foundations could be in form of negative covenants entered into by past generations, which hurt the present generation. Others could be negative covenants, knowingly or unknowingly entered into by the Christian, when he was still an unbeliever. Such covenants must be broken, to enable the Christian to enjoy free access to answered prayers.

• PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS. Ephesians 6:10-12; Daniel 10:12-13.

Generally, Christianity is warfare between our kingdom and the kingdom of the devil, even though, we are not fighting for victory, as that has already been achieved for us by our Lord, Jesus Christ. But the devil, the fallen angels and other demons are still operational, always wanting to discourage us as Christians, and one of their devices is to try to hinder our prayer or cause a delay to the manifestation of an answer. We must resist them, from our vantage position (as God’s children) using the necessary tools provided us by God. 1 Peter 5:8-9.

3. Lastly, there may be divine purposes while an answer may be delayed.

• TO MAKE US MATURE CHRISTIANS.  James 1:2-4; 2 Peter 1:5-9.

God wants to be proud of us, as He was of our fathers of the faith. No one gets to become a mature Christian only by studying the word, the application of the word is what helps us to be more like God, and His dependable servants. Often, delays in answers to prayers can help us develop some Christian virtues. May God help us.

• GOD’S TIMING. Daniel 10:1; Isaiah 60:22; Genesis 17:21.

Our father is a God of purpose and time. He is a well organized person, who in His infinite knowledge knows the best time to deliver an answer to us. It could seem like a delay when His time for a purpose/programme has not been reached. Here, we need to ask Him for the spirit of patience and understanding.

CONCLUSION

God takes pleasure in answering our prayers. He is a loving father. However, we might experience delay to answers to prayer. At such times, it would help if we can ascertain the cause, so as to take the right action.

QUESTIONS

1. How can we deal with delays to answer to prayer?
2. How can we help a Christian who may be experiencing a delay to the manifestation of God’s promise or answer to prayer?