Progressive Baptist Church's Website
Prayer doesn't cost us anything but it is a valuable aspect of christian life. We learn from the Scriptures how often provision and power were opened by prayer. In developing our spiritual walk with God, we must recognize the importance of prayer and the key ingredients to getting our prayers answered. One key ingredient in getting a prayer answered is patience.
I know you all have heard the expression, "Patience is a virtue." This expression means patience is a strength. Patience is also a commendable and beneficial quality that works hand in hand with faith. When we offer a prayer of faith to God for people and things such as our loved ones, finances, or even a job, we should keep expecting and keep waiting patiently until we receive an answer.
Many times we pray and believe God but when things don't happen when we think they should, we get impatient and wonder about God's love and provisions for us. Often we forget one of God's most common answers to our prayers. God often answers, "YES, But Wait For My Perfect Timing." We must remember that some things we pray for happen immediately while others happen gradually. When we realize that a true, effective prayer is found in a righteous relationship with God, we can boldly go to the throne knowing it is no vain thing to wait upon the Lord. We must also remember it is very important to study God's Word so we can be assured that we are praying in accordance to His will, because some things we pray for don't happen at all. No amount of patience matters when God has answered our prayer, "NO, That Is Not In Agreement With My Word Or My Will."
In the Book of Daniel, Chapter 10:12-13, Daniel prayed and mourned for three weeks over the spiritual condition of his people, but his answer didn't come immediately. Later, an angel told Daniel that his prayer had been heard the first day but the prince of the kingdom of Persia had opposed and delayed his answer for twenty-one days. We must realize in Daniel's day and now, that beyond any visible conflict there is the invisible. We should ever be mindful of the power of Satan. As the prince of the power of the air, he will do anything to keep our prayers from reaching God and he will give his all to keep God's answers from reaching us. When we believe God has no answer for us, we begin to doubt Him which pleases Satan. But God's Word says, "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened."
In his epistle to the Romans, Paul admonished the Romans to glory in tribulation because tribulation worketh patience, which brought experience; and experience brought hope and joy in the glory of the Lord. We should never get impatient and give up on God because He will never give up on us. Even in our darkest tribulation we should remain patient because God is faithful, just, and true to His Word.
I'm reminded of a story that epitomizes patience and impatience. God had promised His servant Abraham and his wife Sarah that they would have a son to be their rightful heir. But after ten years, Sarah became impatient and took matters into her own hands, which was not in accordance with God's will. Needless to say, things didn't work out as Sarah had hoped. But Abraham, on the other hand, was strong in his faith, he was pursuaded that whatever God had promised, He was able to deliver. So in patience, Abraham waited another fifteen years before God's promise was fulfilled. After twenty-five years, when Abraham was one hundred years old and his wife Sarah was ninety, their promised heir was born. This was God's miracle to Abraham because Abraham's faith and patience was counted as righteousness.
The Bible clearly states that we, too, can be counted righteous if we believe on Him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. Believing that all things are possible with God, we can remain patient and never allow unbelief to cause us to stagger at any of God's promises. I pray that we will continue praising God and continue holding on patiently to His Word so we can quote with assurance, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
