“NOPE” – GOD IS NEVER SLOW IN HONOURING HIS PROMISES
To me, the answer is “NO.” God is not slow to answer the faithful believers’ prayer requests accordingly. God is never, ever slow in his promises. It may be delayed, but it will be fulfilled whether it’s directed to you as a person, a family or as a nation.
Remember also that: unanswered prayer is not a denial; it’s not a rejection for the child of God, it’s not a rejection for his ambassador, and it’s not a rejection of his friend or servant.
The question is: are you asking for your selfish desires, and how does it differ from the glory of God? This is what James says in such a case: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” [James 4:3, ESV].
Here are some key takeaways to bear in mind: Our approach makes a difference – how much confidence do you have in believing that you will receive what you’ve asked according to your faith?
To be clear, my fellow Christians, bear in mind that God’s promises are not fractional. You won’t be given half a loaf of bread. He will give you a complete loaf of bread for all seasons. God’s answer to your promise is full and timeless. What is your faith level? This is not a gambling time.
Professed Christians with strong faith and a stronger relationship with Christ may not have difficulties understanding how the Lord God honours his promises. God will not answer anything or fulfill a PROMISE that will send you into wretchedness, pain or suffering. That is a prime key.
It is a fact that the believer who does not misalign their prayer will have the divine answer. So, God will do likewise for all his children who ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK with CONFIDENCE with FAITH without DOUBT.
We should also align our prayers with God’s purpose, but if they differ from that particular promise, it will not be fulfilled accordingly. Let’s see what First John 5 says: “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us” [1 John 5:14-15, ESV]. Emphasis on – “according to his will …”
And so here I begin with a story to encourage you. A look back at Biblical history in Exodus, the people of Israel were enslaved in Egypt under extremely harsh slavery conditions. As they cried out for help, the Lord listened. God picked Moses to lead Israel from Egypt to Canaan.
The Bible tells us that the Lord promised Moses that he would be with him to lead Israel from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land of Canaan to settle as a nation. It took Israel 40 years to get through this journey. Forty years was a long time, but the bottom line is the Lord kept his promise, and they eventually made it. Promise kept. Right?
In this case, the question is: “Was God slow in honouring his promise?” Whatever time it took to honour this promise is only known to God under the harsh terrain that Israel went through, the disobedience, the adversaries, and the wars, the Lord did what was right to honour the promise.
You may probably think otherwise, and think about your individual prayer request, but the fact is God handles and honours every case truthfully to his promise with a measure that would not harm you, but to give you eternal peace.
The Lord wants to give you a joyful heart when he honours his promise; it may be slow, but it would not honour a request to crush your spirit dry. Proverbs 17:22 states: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones”.
In fact, we are told in the Scriptures that when Joshua eventually led the Israelites to conquer the Promised Land, he was so overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. He looked back and assessed what God had done on their journey; he could not help but pour out unreserved praise and worship to the LORD. He spoke to the people of Israel with gratification and told them:
“Not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed” [Joshua 23:14]. Those were the words of Joshua to Israel in his old age.
So I ask you today to ponder on Joshua’s gratitude and encouragement to Israel, and to think about the blessings you’ve had from the Lord. Give him the gratitude.
Without a doubt, God is faithful and deserves to be trusted at all times. As a Christian, never be stunned when tough times arrive; be firm and hold on to your faith, and the Lord will show up to honour his promise. Keep your Faith and keep Hope alive.
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