“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Have you ever prayed but felt that God was slow in answering your prayers? Have you ever prayed for a loved one to come to Jesus, but to no avail? Have you ever fasted as you interceded for someone in your family—wanting them to get right with God, but nothing seemed to happen?

You’re not alone. This is one of the biggest mysteries surrounding prayer. Does prayer work? Is God listening? Even with the questions and the uncertainties, all it takes is one clear answer from God and—like smoke evaporating into the sky—the doubts clear up. So we need to learn to pray. We need to cultivate a holy waiting. We need to practice a spiritual-mindedness—believing that God will work in His good time. One of the most intriguing verses in the Bible deals with prayer. Peter, discussing the Lord’s timing, writes: “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8-9).

I would like to draw attention to three things in this passage. First, it’s not our timing but God’s timing. The Scripture tells us that time is determined by the Lord. We can plan our ways, but it is the Lord who directs. We can structure our time schedules, but it is the Lord who decides. We can try to move things along, but it is the Lord who dictates. We can move our bodies, but it is the Lord who moves hearts. The Lord moves by His Spirit. We need to move in step with the Spirit, especially in prayer. Second, what is slow to man is not slow to God. If we acknowledge that time is in God’s hands, our definition of “slowness” takes on a whole new meaning. Think about how our impatience has brought trouble. Think about how foolish it is to overtake the car in front of us, only to be stopped at the next traffic junction a block away. Think about the frustrations that fester inside us when our version of fast isn’t fast enough for others. It’s not slow or fast but God’s timing that matters. A friend of mine said this to me many years ago and it has stayed with me: “God is seldom early, never late, but always on time.”

Third, God wants the maximum number of people to come to repentance. He is patient in waiting for people to turn to Him. Now, I’m not talking about the doctrine of predestination which teaches that God knows who will be saved or not saved. That doctrine can be dealt with at another time, and another place. What I’m addressing here is that God loves people so much that He gives ample opportunities—fairly and openly—for all to receive Him.

Let me close with a story.

Lee Strobel shares an amazing experience that he had with God. One beautiful day, he was performing a baptism for one of his church members. In the midst of baptizing a 60-year old woman, he noticed a much older man seated next to her. The man looked tough and hard.

Looking at the woman, Strobel asked the woman the formal question, “Do you want to be baptized?” She joyfully said, “Yes.” Brimming with joy, she then said yes to having received Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She said yes to having received Jesus with her whole heart. She said yes wanting to follow Jesus the rest of her life. Then, all of a sudden, something moved Strobel to turn his eyes to the old man.

“Have you given your life to Jesus?”

Stunned with the sudden attention on him, the old man softened his stance. He paused a moment before bursting out, “No, I haven’t, but I want to right now.”

Strobel later found out that the old man was the brother of woman he baptized. She had been praying nine years for his salvation. Strobel thought to himself: “Nine years. . . . Here is a woman who is glad she didn’t stop praying in year eight.”

We all want results. We like control. Yet, spiritual work cannot be controlled by our own plans or fleshly desires. Spiritual work needs to be done in God’s way according to God’s perfect timing. When we pray, we’re participating in the spiritual work of God. When we pray, God tills the soil in the hearts of men. When we pray, God waters the seeds of faith. When we pray, God fertilizes and grows spiritual awareness. When we pray, God enables trust to increase and doubts to decrease by the faith He establishes.

Never give up on others, for God never gives up on us. Keep praying.

—submitted by Conrade Yap, Canada