When we pray for something, can we accept an answer to prayer that doesn’t coincide with the thing we were asking? Are we patient enough to “wait on the Lord”, let Him determine the timing of when He sends an answer, and still believe that He is mindful of us? Do we have faith the Lord will send an answer for each of our prayers?
When discussing the matter of prayer, I believe that it’s important to include a dialog about the Lord’s timing in answering our prayers. I’ve learned so much about what I call “The Law of Timing” in connection with prayer. In my mind, those two ideas – prayer and timing, are conjoined and can’t be separated, even though we might like them to be.
As mortals we are not necessarily comfortable with the concept time, because time as we know it isn’t an eternal principle. Our days on this earth are measured in various segments of time – seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, years. In this mortal state these elements of time are what we are used to. Because of the veil that separates us from the remembrance of our previous life, we become confused about time. On the other hand, organizing, planning and creating are eternal principles that we learn about in the scriptures. The world was created, under the direction of our Heavenly Father using those principles. I think we confuse earthly time with our instinctive eternal understanding of how we progress through organizing, planning and creating. Time as we know it, twenty-four hours a day, the sixty minutes in an hour kind of time is something that accompanies earth life, not eternal life. Progression is eternal. Time is not.
As humans we try to control time…to be somewhere or someplace at specific times, schedule things to happen at precise times, have deadlines for things. Our plans are important to us, and if something comes in our path to disturb our plans and personal agendas, it can be very upsetting to us. We want things to happen on our terms and our timing. We think that our plans are much more important than what anyone else could plan for us. It may be ok to be a part of someone else’s timing temporarily, but we want to be in charge of our lives. Eventually we must all learn that the Lord’s timing is not our timing, and His will is different than our will. His timing is full of wisdom as He sees the big picture of our lives, while our timing is limited to our present earthly understanding. If we can let go and be less stubborn about holding on to what WE want and truly ask in prayer with a sincere heart for Heavenly Father’s will to be done, then we will see His timing in the answers He sends and will be astounded at what can happen in our lives. Answers to prayers will always come, in His time.
After asking The Lord for blessings we desire through humble prayer, it is hard to understand why He doesn’t send the requested blessing when we feel we need it. It is easy to look around and compare ourselves to others, sometimes coveting what someone else has that we wish to have. The concepts we are taught in the scriptures about patience and long suffering are some of the most difficult traits to attain. Gaining patience is often painful, and those words – “long suffering” is exactly as it is stated. The time seems to tick by so slowly when we’re waiting for the Lord to deliver us from whatever is unbearable in our lives or grant us something we desire, and the suffering we experience while waiting is long sometimes. The waiting for what we desire may be a lifetime long, yet I still believe that Heavenly Father’s blessings for us will be realized. If not in this life, what a joyous reward waits for us in the next. But we must trust in our loving Father and believe that He will give to us what is best for us – He has our eternal welfare in mind and knows perfectly what we need.
I believe our honorable desires are good, but may not always be in harmony with what the Lord has planned for us. Early on in my trial, I wanted to find a companion and be married again and have a real father for my children and a loving husband for myself. I wanted it right then – I didn’t want to wait for this blessing. Part of me feared I would never have the blessing of marriage again, and I wanted that blessing. Knowing many wonderful women who have gone through a divorce, women who have never been married or had children, I knew the odds of finding a good companion at my age and with my life circumstances were slim. In my mind I reasoned, “What would be so wrong to ask for a husband and father that could help me raise my children and be a truly good father?” During all that hoping, I had the feeling that if I married again it wouldn’t be soon. And it wasn’t…it didn’t happen for sixteen years. I dated different men from time to time, but none of the relationships felt right. When the blessing of a companion finally came into my life, I knew without a doubt that I was being given the right man. He was just what I needed, in ways only the Lord’s mercy could have known. This man had the kindness and capacity to love me. He was loyal, kind, loving and had a good heart – the total opposite of what Phil had become. I was grateful that The Lord sent me a man with such a good heart and integrity of soul, for which I am thankful every day. Now after several years of marriage, I am still amazed by this gift God bestowed upon me. I had to wait a long time for this gift, because John was busy at the time having children and raising a family, and he loved his wife. Sadly, she passed away and he was left in despair. His pain became my blessing, and would become our blessing as we found each other. I know that Heavenly Father did answer my prayer, but the timing had to be right, the person had to be right and I had to learn patience and wait on the Lord. Looking back, I’m grateful that I didn’t jump into a relationship early on that would have been wrong for me and my children. John and I both gained additional blessings as we joined our lives – me by adding John’s children into my life, and he adding my children into his. And I gained instant grandchildren to add to the joy! John (and company) was worth every bit of the wait, and we feel that the Lord’s hand was in our union. A loving Heavenly Father had taken two people that had been through terrible trials and put us together, knowing that we would be perfect for one another. I can’t put into words what this miracle has meant in my life. Waiting for the Lord’s timing was a great blessing and brought me joy!
I can’t say that things in my life always feel like they are going to work out. Sometimes it feels that some things never will, and maybe they won’t. But waiting has also taught me patience and helped me to realize that there are things I desire that may not happen. Our timing or desires may not work out. The prayers we wish to have answered may not be in accordance with God’s will at all and our answers may be very different than what we had hoped for and planned. There are times in life when we feel desperate for specific blessings, knowing that we, our families or someone we know have immediate needs that may not be met. Once again, it goes back to that idea of “fairness”. Not having our earnest prayers granted may seem like a punishment, and we feel that the Lord does not love us. I believe if we can be patient, long suffering, endure our current trials and continue in faith, we will ultimately be blessed by He who is the giver of all the best blessings! Waiting on the Lord’s timing and receiving His answers will turn out to be a blessing and will bring much joy.
Until recently in my life, I did not know that certain kinds of pine trees would yield flowers. Where I grew up by the mountains, there were an abundance of pine trees but they never produced flowers. It was a new discovery for me when I was walking in the mountains of California one day – a wonderful surprise. Seeing the flower on the tree (in the picture above) made me think about God’s timing… good things may be happening and we may be growing as our lives progress, but at other times life may be full of prickly needles and sometimes they hurt! If we persist in trying our best and keep the conversation open between us and our maker, eventually growth and beauty spring forth in our lives just as it did on this pine tree. Beauty will be found among the needles in our lives.
Keep working ,fantastic job!
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