We’ve all felt it. The impatience that comes when we ask God to do something, and it doesn’t happen immediately. ”He’s the God of the universe with infinite power.” We think. “Can’t he just answer this one small request?”

Unfortunately, many times God’s promises don’t work that way. They take time to happen. In today’s world when we hear that, we think, “Ok, so… a year?” When in actuality, God thinks much more long term. The Bible is full of promises. Some happened immediately, but many more took years, decades, even thousands of years!

We can’t microwave our faith. We can’t pray a short 5 second prayer with all faith and earnestness and expect God to move mountains. Many moves of God take much longer and a whole lot more time in prayer. Here are some reasons why God may not answer your prayer immediately.

1. You’re not ready. Just like Joseph wasn’t ready to become ruler over his brother’s when God gave him the promise, we may not be ready to receive what God has for us. Isaiah calls God the potter and we are simply the clay. God may be molding and making us into someone who is ready to receive the promise and complete His will.
2. Other people aren’t ready. While Joseph was in prison, he was probably ready to take over Egypt as he did two years later. However, Pharaoh was not ready to relinquish that power. God is master of the universe and there are circumstances and situations that we can not comprehend. But, He can. God may be preparing others for your promise because your promise is never just about you.
3. He’s working in the background. Like a giant chess board, God has to move certain pieces into place for His perfect plan to be worked out. We may feel forgotten and forsaken in the middle. Nevertheless, we have to rest on God’s promise that He will never leave us or forsake us. Trust that God is working and in the meantime, continue to pray, study, and follow His will.
4. It’s not going to happen. Sometimes, we feel like God has given us a promise, and it’s just not true. Teenagers are great at this one, believing that God has sent that special someone to be their spouse for life. If the promise is outside of God’s will or more simply, something that we just really want, it’s probably not going to happen. Spend time in prayer. Study the Bible. Ask wise counselors. God will most likely show you something much better than you ever imagined.

We have very little patience in our always on the go, instant gratification world. That doesn’t mean God doesn’t either. He has an eternal perspective and can see far beyond our little worlds. Once we settle into serving in God’s big story and quit trying to create our own, we will be filled with much less angst.

Do you have a microwaveable faith?