Are you a patient person? For many of us, the answer is somewhere between very patient and no patience. For too many Christians I’m afraid their prayers to God go something like this, “Lord please give me patience and I want it NOW!”
I love the example we can clearly see in the story of Nehemiah when he heard about his homeland being in ruins. It shows his compassion, his love for his people. And how he immediately turned to God for answers. He drops to his knees in prayer and ask God for help. In Nehemiah 1:1 in the month of Chislev (December) he goes to God in prayer. And what happens? A big fat nothing. We read a little further and we see in Nehemiah 2:1 in the month of Nisan (April) by the providence of God he had an appointment with King Artaxerxes his boss, who would ask him what was wrong. And in the end his prayers would be put in motion. He would be given permission to return home and to begin rebuilding his city. But Nehemiah had to wait four months before anything began to fall into place.
Can you imagine? Day one went by, and Nehemiah had no answer. Day two, and day three went by and no answer. Then month one, and month two, and month 3 went by and no answer. It had to seem to Nehemiah that no answer was going to ever be received. Ninety days had gone by, and he saw no relief. Then in month four, his prayers begin to be answered. Are you that patient? Be honest, for many of us, we have given up or moved on to find our own answers by now. We assume if God hasn’t responded by now, he never will.
Romans 12:12 says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” For the child of God, we have to learn to never give up hope. To be patient in our struggles, and to never give up on prayer. Remember faith is having confidence in what we hope for, and the assurance of what we have not seen (Hebrews 11:1).
Have you been praying for a family member? Don’t give up. Have you been praying for a lost soul, don’t give up. Have you been praying for a better relationship? Don’t give up. These might just be the most powerful words ever uttered by humankind; Don’t give up.
