Waiting for God to Answer
Today I’m taking a break from sharing kid activities to share what’s on my heart. It’s something that I feel led to share with you!
We all have something in our lives that requires us to wait. Sometimes it’s something simple, like waiting for the power to come back on (like we did last night during a blizzard). Other times, it’s something major — a diagnosis or waiting for a cure. Maybe it’s waiting for a future spouse, getting pregnant, or even just to have a good friend. A lot of times, we can’t understand why God is silent…and why it seems like He isn’t listening to our prayers. It’s frustrating. We pour out your prayers day after day after day…and still it seems like God is not at work. What is God doing?
God uses waiting and trials to refine our faith and bring us closer to Him.
I’ve felt these emotions this past year when we were selling our home. It seemed to take forever! We were following what God had for us, but He wasn’t providing a way for us to leave our current home. We knew that God was calling us elsewhere because God opened up doors for my husband to accept a job in a different city. It seemed impossible for him to get the job, but he got it! We knew this was God leading us to move. But still, we had to sell our house. Our first step was trying to sell it by owner for about 6 weeks. The first gal that looked at it was super interested and told me she fell in love with the house…she even cried when she told me how much she loved it! We thought for sure that God was answering our prayers there…and a bonus was that we wouldnt have to pay realtor fees! But, God closed that door. She decided on a different home. So after no luck trying to sell by owner, we got a realtor. I won’t share everything that happened, but basically we waited 7 months and realized it was time to move where my husband works. With winter weather coming up, we wanted to be close to his work. So we took a leap of faith and moved out of our home while still trying to sell it. I kept thinking — Come on now, God. What are you waiting for? I totally trust in you, but it would be so nice if you could just answer this small request.
I vividly remember the day God answered this prayer request. I was laying in bed miserable from morning sickness when I got an email from our realtor. We had an offer! And I had no clue that anyone was even looking at our home! So 10 months of waiting and God answered at an unexpected time. I know, that may not seem like a long time, but it felt like a long time to us!
From this period of waiting, I realized two things:
1. It is hardest to accept the waiting parts of life.
2. God’s timetable is often different from ours.
You see, I realized that God’s timing was perfect. Looking back, he allowed a buyer to come when we were ready financially to close on the home. We learned a lot about waiting during this process. We praise God for answering our prayers and I thank you for praying for us!
And I also realize that sometimes God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we want them to be answered, and that is very hard to accept. However, He doesn’t abandon us, but He promises to take care of our needs.
Lastly, I want to share a quote from Elisabeth Elliot. I love her book Secure in the Everlasting Arms
. I’ve read it multiple times and am always encouraged when I read it.
Have you experienced a time in your life where you waited? If so, I would love to hear about it. You can comment here or even email me if you’d like.
I pray that you all feel God’s peace today as you start a brand new week!
I am waiting on my lord i am waiting for help in my life to find help with my financial or i no that god.will come but i am getting more in need for all my bills are getting behind and my car payment is hind for.about 3 months so pray ever day night to please come now .For help in my life. Aman
I’m so sorry. Praying for you tonight!
Praying with all my heart for the house we live in to sell
It is horrid
I am exhausted with the long commute i have to do
Exhausted
Please God bring us a buyer with haste Lord
I know haste is not yiur way Lord but we are very weary and tired and so so so sad
Lord please bless us with a person who will buy this house
Praying for you today, too! May God give you so much peace as you wait for His plan.
Hi Angela
Thanks for your encouraging post – you are so patient and it is so hard just waiting. I really like your picture quote , I’m going to look up her book … Right now, I’m trying to learn for myself – God may be slow, but he’s never late .
Some days it helps…
God bless you
Sue
Thank you so much, Sue! You are right…He is never late. He knows what He is doing!
Hello all….pls pray that my house gets sold soon ..please…God bless u all 🙂
Thank God.. me too in the waiting period now.. I am married for 6.5 years now.. I have had two miscarriages in the past years and still waiting for God’s work to work in me and grant us children.recently I have quit my job as well.. hoping in the presence of God for his work to be done my life.
I been married for a year now and have been trying to get pregnant, I’m still not pregnant but I do know it’s all about Gods timing. Some days I get discouraged but do know that he will bless my husband and I in his timing. In edition to wanting and waiting to get pregnant, I’ve been without a permanent job for the last two years. I’ve been temping and I still believe God has the perfect position just for me but in his timing. We must wait and trust in the Lord. Faith is believing even when you can not see the way.
I’m so sorry to hear this. Waiting is so hard. Praying you will be blessed while you wait! Thank you for commenting.
Oh, yes, the waiting… *sigh* I waited and prayed, and waited some more to find a marriage partner in hopes to raise a family. When I was 46, I was done waiting for “Mr. sort-a-right”. So I completed a Foster Parenting class, and then waited some more… 2 months later I received the most precious gift of my life, a Baby Girl. While it is certainly not what I wanted or expected from life, I thank the Lord everyday for this gift and celebrate love & joy that I now experience !!
I believe that God is good, I believe that His timing is perfect, but I am right now in that period of waiting. My husband and I got married in October 2012, and have been searching for good employment ever since. I have been working the same dead-end-poorly-paying-terrible-hours job for the past ten months, and my husband’s job of three months fizzled up and died. We are living in his parents’ house, along with my brother in law and sister in law. It’s been stressful and heartbreaking. We just want our own place and our own life! We’re trying to have faith that God has a place for us elsewhere, that He has a great job lined up for my husband, and even that this period of our life together is meant for growth and learning, but it’s hard to see that when you’re in the dark. Thanks for reminding me to have faith!
I’m so sorry to hear this. My heart break for you!! I will be praying for you–for strength, patience, wisdom, and strong faith in the Lord. God bless you!!
LOVE this post. Congrats to you guys! And God’s timing is always so much better than ours! So hard to be patient but there are so many lessons he is teaching us along the way. So happy for you guys!
Thanks, Linds! Yes, His timing is always better than ours!! So true. Thanks for your comment.
I waited six years for a child. Boy did I learn the meaning of patience! It also took us two years to sell our house, then ten months to find a job at our new location. I feel your pain, but everything was worth the wait. God is good 🙂
Thank you for sharing, Natalie! Wow, you are so patient…God bless you!! You are so right–God is good!