READING: Genesis 22-24
None of us likes to wait for an answer when we pray. Some of us have been praying for lost loved ones for years. Others of us are still waiting for an answer to a prayer we prayed months ago. The longer the wait is, the more our faith often gets stretched.
But every once in awhile, God answers even more quickly than we thought He would. Such was the case when Abraham’s servant went searching for a wife for Isaac. The servant was praying for God to make his trip successful by revealing the right woman for Isaac — particularly, a woman who would give him something to drink and water his camels, too.
The servant began praying, and listen to what happened next: “Before he had finished speaking, there was Rebekah—daughter of Bethel son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor—coming with a jug on her shoulder” (Gen. 24:15). Genesis 24:45 even tells us that the servant had been praying silently.
Get the picture: a man prayed a silent prayer, and God had the answer in front of him before he ever finished his words. God had orchestrated events and intersected lives in such a way it would be hard to deny His hand.
God doesn’t always answer prayers that quickly and that dramatically, but it’s sweet when He does. And — though it may seem odd — the fact that I know He’s a God who can answer quickly gives me faith to trust Him when He chooses not to. He who is all-wise must have a reason for taking His time in responding.
It’s the enemy who encourages us to lose heart in those times of waiting.
ACTION STEPS: Consider these steps today:
- Take a few minutes to reflect on a time when God answered your prayers more rapidly than you had ever dreamed.
- Ask Him for faith to continue believing if you’re still waiting for His answer to other prayers.
PRAYER: “God, thank You for the times when You’ve responded quickly to my prayers. Stop the enemy from causing discouragement in my life when You choose to delay Your response.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Genesis 25-26
