Have you ever contacted an organisation by phone, online or email and received an automatic response such as “Good customer service is very important to us and we aim to respond to you within 2 working days. However, we are currently experiencing a higher volume of emails so please bear with us if we are unable to respond to you within this time”.
Sometimes with a telephone call, the first sentence is followed by silence, sometimes music and with one software firm I was offered my choice of music. Recently, after receiving such a message during a phone call I was so surprised to hear a human response that I nearly pressed the wrong button on my phone to cancel the call.
We may be so used to instant responses to search engine enquiries that any delays can be frustrating and be absorbed into our prayer life. There are some examples of instant divine answers such as Elisha and the prophets of Baal, Peter walking on the water or Saul on the road to Damascus. But there are other examples of long waits for answers (the Israelites in Egypt) or even the apostle Paul having his request for a “thorn in the flesh” to be removed and getting an answer that was probably not his first choice.
I like the story of the mother, passing her young son’s bedroom, and hearing him say, “Dear God, will you give me patience and can I have it NOW!”
It has often been said that “hindsight is a wonderful thing” and hopefully we have benefitted on occasions when we may have delayed answers to prayers. Too often, that doesn’t make it easier, and the next time we may experience frustration – again.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, may the times when delayed responses to prayers have been acknowledged as the best response, encourage us to be patient should we need to wait for answers. AMEN