Jesus sometimes waits before He answers prayer

Jesus healed the sick, cast out demons and loved people unconditionally. He has asked you to do the same: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!” (Matt. 10:8 NLT).

But I have prayed, you say, and have asked for people to be healed and nothing has happened. What is wrong?

Nothing is wrong. It is not about you. You are in a waiting season so take your eyes off what you are seeing and fix your eyes on the One who is worthy and all glorious. You have a choice to either look at your circumstances and bewail them or look at Jesus and keep on believing for every promise He has placed on your heart.

At times like this I like to remember the times that Jesus waited until He showed His power. He waited until Lazarus was in his tomb for days before he even started on His journey to raise him from the dead. He waited until the wedding guests were desperate before He changed the water into wine. He slept on as the disciples rowed hard against a life-threatening storm.

He waited until Mary was beside herself with grief that her Lord and Saviour had been taken out of His tomb before He revealed Himself to her. He passed the Pool of Bethesda many times and passed the crippled man resting there before he healed the man who had been paralysed for 38 years.

Remember that when you pray for a healing and don’t see an immediate answer. Thank Jesus for His answer to your prayer in anticipation. This is faith and God can reveal Himself in an atmosphere of faith. “You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it” (Matt. 12:22 NLT).