THE GREAT SILENCE
Learning to Wait in Expectancy
An excerpt from a prayer to God by author Marjorie Holmes echoes the desperation we may sometimes feel when heaven is silent as we pray:
Oh God,
“…I ask for things that do not come. I urge You for things that do not happen. “‘Ask, and you shall receive,’ the Scriptures say. ‘Knock, and the door will be opened.’ Yet sometimes, the door remains fast. My knuckles are bloody from knocking, and my voice is hoarse from asking. This is so hard to accept when we do not know why—when we simply cannot understand.”
This desperation for an answer is real if you have prayed and prayed for something you feel is justified and right, yet you still do not receive it—and you do not know why.
The psalmist found himself in the same situation. In his desperation, he called unto God:
“O God, do not remain silent;do not turn a deaf ear,do not stand aloof, O God.See how your enemies growl.”Psalm 83:1–2, NIV
For him, there was a right cause for God to intercede—it was “God’s enemies,” after all. Surely, God must arise and confront them. Yet all the pleas for Him to intervene seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.
If we are honest, we have found ourselves in this place many times—desperately asking God for help and receiving only silence in return.
We know too well the questions that arise in those moments:
Doesn’t He hear us? When will He answer? What can we do? Yet there are times when, having done all we know to do, we can only wait.
What, then, can we do in this state of affairs?
The Scriptures encourage persistence and tell us not to give up. Jesus points us to the story of the persistent widow, who went repeatedly to the unjust judge, asking for help against her adversary. Help did not come immediately.
Because of the woman’s persistence, the judge said to himself, “Because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice.”
In contrast to the unjust judge, Jesus says our persistence can bring results with God as well: “Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?” Luke 18:7, NIV.
Scripture says we should bring our needs to God “night and day.” We should not “lose heart”
(Luke 18:1, NIV). When we do not receive an answer, we should keep praying for His intervention. This is echoed in 1 Thessalonians 5:17: “Pray continually.”
But the Bible reminds us that our prayers must be accompanied by faith—the conviction of things not seen—that if we believe, we will receive whatever we have asked for (Mark 11:24). Yet, as discussed in an earlier devotion, our prayers may sometimes remain unanswered not because of a lack of faith or belief, but because it could be God’s way of preserving us or protecting us from what we cannot yet see.
In another devotion, “When God Disappoints,” we looked at the different ways God responds to prayer: some He answers right away, as He did for Hagar, Samson, and Abraham’s servant; some He tells to wait, as with Habakkuk, Miriam, and Daniel; and for others, such as Samuel, David, and Jeremiah, He says a clear no.
As we do not know in what ways He intends to answer us, we should continue in prayer with expectancy that He will hear us.
What we are sure of is this: Our God is a good God who wants to satisfy our lives with good things and protect us from every evil. He cares about what matters to us and is as concerned about the challenges we face as we are. We have this assurance from Him: “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Ecclesiastes 3:11, NIV.
We know that He can be trusted to do all that a loving Father can do to help us in times of need. Sometimes, that includes strengthening us and quietly helping us to accept the things we cannot change.
Even if the answer tarries, let us wait in expectancy—trusting God, remaining open to His work in our lives, and leaving the form of the answer in His hands.
Waiting does not mean doing nothing. While we wait, there are things we can do:
We can continue to praise Him through songs and hymns, and by giving thanks for past answered prayers. Colossians 4:2 says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”]
We can engage in charity—giving our time and resources to others in need helps shift our focus away from ourselves. Hebrews 13:16 reminds us: “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
We can focus on and meditate on His words in Scripture, allowing them to anchor us in hope during these times. David said: “I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.” Psalm 143:5, NIV.
As You Go About Your Day
Ask yourself:
How can I continue to keep my eyes on the Lord while waiting for His answer?
May the Lord strengthen our faith as we continue to bring our prayers before Him. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Comments