Many years ago, Kim and I took the kids to Disney World. We had a blast, of course, but one thing you have to accept at Disney is that you’ll spend a lot of time waiting in lines. Thankfully, Disney had placed TV screens along the line that showed scenes from various Disney shows. At least there was something to occupy our attention while we waited. Those screens didn’t speed the line up, but they did make it a little more bearable.
Waiting is no fun.
There are times, though, when we find ourselves waiting on God. We pray and pray for something…and nothing happens. During the time of waiting, we don’t know whether God is saying no to our request or whether he’s telling us to wait. All we know is that the line isn’t moving.
One day Jesus’s disciples asked him to teach them how to pray. That’s when he taught them what we know as the Lord’s Prayer, and right after that, he said:
And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.’” (Luke 11:5-6)
The disciples were thinking, “No way I’d do that!” In the small houses of Jesus’s day, knocking on the door late at night would wake up the whole house. It would have been extremely rude.
“…and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.” (Luke 11:7-8)
That word for impudence here is better translated as persistence. The man in the house doesn’t help because he’s a good friend. He helps because the other guy won’t stop banging on the door.
It almost sounds like Jesus is saying that God is reluctant to provide for us, and we have to be rude to get him to do anything. But that isn’t what Jesus is saying at all.
Later on, in Luke 18, Jesus tells the story of an evil judge and a poor widow. The widow asks the judge over and over for help. Finally, the judge gives her what she wants just to get her to leave him alone. Notice how Luke begins this story:
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. (Luke 18:1, NIV)
So the story of the poor widow and the evil judge is about persistence. There’s that word again. A few verses later, Luke gives a perfect example of persistence. As Jesus approaches Jericho, a blind man is sitting on the road, begging. He hears the crowd go by and asks what’s going on. Other people tell him that Jesus is passing by, so he cries out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The people around him tell him to hush, but here’s what he does instead:
But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Luke 18:39)
He cried out all the more. He wouldn’t stop, no matter what the people said to him. Jesus stopped and healed the man of his blindness.
In the parables of Luke 11 and 18, Jesus isn’t saying that God is a sleepy man or an evil judge. He’s teaching us that sometimes we might feel like God is like that because we pray and pray and nothing happens. We cry out and cry out and people tell us to hush.
But God is not a bothered neighbor or uncaring judge. Our God is righteous and just, holy and tender, he cares deeply about our needs, and he loves to give. If even a bothered neighbor and a crooked judge will give, imagine what your loving Heavenly Father will do!
Sometimes we pray and pray and pray, and nothing happens. There are plenty of times when God is saying no to our requests because he has something much better in mind. But we don’t know that at the time. What we do know is that we are to go before God boldly, persistently, over and over again, with any need, trusting that our God is more gracious and caring and loving than we can imagine. If God is telling us no, then it’s because he knows what’s best. If he’s telling us to wait, it’s because his timing is always perfect.
In those times when we are waiting, we don’t keep on praying so that God will hurry up. Watching a video in line at Disney doesn’t make the line move any faster. You’ll get there when you get there. But it makes the wait a little less painful.
Pray and pray and pray, but not to get what you want sooner. Prayer is not about changing God, it’s about God changing you. The more time you spend in conversation with God, the more you love him, know him, and experience him, the easier the wait will be.
What is the thing that keeps you coming to God in prayer? What’s the one thing that if God would only answer one prayer in your life, that’s the one you want answered?
Jesus says, “Don’t give up. Never give up. Keep on praying. Pray and pray and pray.” God loves you and cares for you, and he can and will provide everything you need. If he chooses not to provide what you want, it’s because your want is not what’s best. But in the process of praying, God will grow your faith and deepen your relationship with him.
And that may be the best gift of all.
Love this article. We do need to continue to pray daily no matter what the outcome is. We need to hav a close relationship with our God.
Thank you for this🙏