Tips for the Christian girl

Some Prayers Faster Then Others

Why Does God Answer Some Prayers Fast And Others Longer?

I realized that the way God answers prayers is purposely in a way you didn't expect. I once sat down and started thinking about the prayers I had made that God answered very fast. Some of these prayers were answered so fast and in a way that I just knew it was God.

One of those prayers was the one about my hair. Now, this can sound superficial to you, but my hair struggled to grow past my shoulders for years. I prayed for longer hair, and I knew God heard and would answer, but the way I expected him to answer was for years. I expected little growth each year and eventually after about 4 years. I'll reach my goal and glorify God.

Now imagine my surprise when just 4 months later my hair grew so over 5 cm. And not too many months later, my hair grew even longer. I was surprised and I'm shocked, even my family didn't expect this.

I was in awe at how God answered so fast. I thought to myself that a few years was fine, but He answered under one year what years could do. He exceeded my expectations. I looked at my sister and said, " This has to be God!!!"

Now, it all makes sense why God answered so quickly. If it happened the way I expected (over years and slowly), I could easily have let pride in, or people wouldn't believe it was God. They would say things like "OH but hair grows normally like that, how do you know it's God, it must have just been growth, you probably looked after your hair more or did something"

But when people see my growth, even my hair stylist, she keeps asking how this happened so fast because I genuinely struggled to grow my hair past my shoulders. This caught people's attention, though it's just a hair to me. This miracle gave people hope that God was alive and answers prayers.

I realized that God purposely exceeded my expectations to reveal who He is. He is a limitless God who does what is impossible to man. For myself alone, it wouldn't be possible, but with God, it was very possible.

This event was a miracle that glorified God and revealed who He was.

Now I think of the prayers that haven't been answered yet and some prayers that take longer.

The same reason why God answered some prayers so fast in my life is the same reason why He takes his time with others. To reveal who He is and for His name to be Glorified. For people to know He is God.

A lot of prayers I ask sometimes bring anxiousness because I'm wondering when and how.  I make many plans of how God should fulfill His promises in my life, just like with the hair. I make up scenarios that make sense to me and seem practical.

The plans I make for my life and how it should go are usually easy, simple, and make sense with a good ending. These are things I wish could happen in my life to get where I desire and know God wants me to be.

But to God, they are too easy. I know that if my plans were fulfilled, God would be glorified, but the impact wouldn't be so powerful. Yes, people would know He is God, His good, and His plans are good but not to the maximum.

At times, God allows situations to reach the maximum height so He can get the maximum amount of glory out of it.

In fact, with my plans, a lot of people could say things like "How do you know it was God who did it, didn't you plan it? It's the same thing if I decide to do it. It's not much of a miracle. It's an "Eh, heard better."

My plans are very simple and practical. The steps are smooth and ordinary. We serve an extraordinary God. They wouldn't know our Lord is extraordinary because everything would be so ordinary to them.

I realized that God's plans for me are steps and directions I would never choose for myself. I would run away if I could. It's scarier. You can't see the way often, and you have to walk by faith. You get tired, it's overwhelming, and it doesn't make sense a lot of the time until later.

They are the kind of plans people look at and say, "Huh? What... How? How did God do that in your life? Tell me more. How were you able to handle and survive that? How did you overwhelm those trials?"

These are the kinds of questions the world should ask when they hear about your story. I think back to Joseph. Since Jospeth was very young when he got a promise from God for his life. I often wonder how he could have handled being hated by his brothers, thinking he overcame his difficulties when working with Potiphar just to do the right thing and get in prison because of his boss's wife for many years for no reason.

I wonder how he handled fully trusting God and helping others in trouble. How did he handle serving God when God promised him the opposite of where he was? These are stories that if I heard them on the street, I would walk and sit down just to hear about it.

These are stories that impact nations, not just another story. These are testimonies of almost-death situations, where situations broke many people, where many people struggled in life but yet trusted God.

I realized that some prayers are answered fast because those give God the most glory. Others get answered slower than we expected because those give God the most glory.

Both guarantee to work out for your good and His purpose (Romans 8:28). Both will lead you to where God wants you to be. Both have big impacts and come in ways you would never expect.

I know how it feels to feel like it will take FOREVER for some things to happen in your life. I know how it feels to ask when and how all the time but I also know that God remains God and faithful in those times of doubt and whenever those thoughts come to mind I say out loud "What your feeling isn't truth. It's real, but it's not the truth. Your feelings will go away, but His truth remains the same. "

And I encourage you to do the same. Whenever those thoughts come, hold them in obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Refuse to give in to your heart because it is deceitful and isn't telling the truth (Jeremiah 17:9). The truth is in the Bible, and its promises are what you should be focusing on despite pain and hurt.

My cousin once told me that the bigger your impact, the tougher things will be for you because the enemy will always attack you to hurt you before you can hurt his influence.

-etty