At the right time I will hear your prayers.

On the day of salvation I will help you”

(Isaiah 49:8).

At the right time, God can do anything instantly. In Isaiah 60:22, God says, “I am the Lord, and when it is
time, I will make these things happen quickly”

This is hard for us to accept because God’s waiting room is sometimes the most difficult place in life. We’re in
God’s waiting room when we’re in a hurry for something to happen but God isn’t. Maybe you’re in a hurry to
graduate or get married or close a big deal or to buy that thing because later or tomorrow that thing will be gone
or bought by another person. You’re watching the time get shorter and shorter, and you say, “God, there isn’t a
whole lot of time left. This either has to happen now or it’s not going to happen at all.”

But God isn’t subject to time. Because he created time, he operates outside of time. That’s why the Bible says
in Psalm 90:4 that a thousand years can seem like a few hours to God.

God uses time to test your/our faith and to build our character. While you’re working on your goal, God is
working on you. And God’s much more interested in you than in what you’re trying to accomplish, because
you’re not taking your accomplishments to heaven. You’re only taking your character.

A lot of times we think we’re waiting on God for something to happen, like a Prayer to be answered. God says,
“You’re not waiting on me. I’m waiting on you. I’m preparing you. I’m testing your faith and trying to mature
you, because the blessing I want to give you is so much bigger than you can handle right now. Trust in the Lord.
(James 1:2-4) 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because
you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you
may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Delays can be part of God’s design, to teach you to trust him and to grow up in your character. Isaiah
49:8 says, “At the right time I will hear your prayers. On the day of salvation I will help you.” Not
“might”—God will hear and answer and help, when the time is right.

“Sometimes God will destroy our plans when he sees that our plans are going to destroy us.”

Pray with the expectation, trusting God will answer your prayers in his time and his way. The person you’re
praying for may never be healed in this life. But you can still pray for healing—without doubt and in faith—
because you know God never stops working out his purposes. He hears you, and he cares about the person
you’re praying for or about the sickness that may be burdening you.