Prayer is just the starting point.

Recently, I have been praying and fasting about something extremely close and personal to my heart. I’m seeking clarity from God about an issue that is both painful and life-altering. When I’ve prayed in the past for issues of similar importance, I would often get discouraged by the seeming lack of direct answers or clarification immediately after praying. Lately, however, I’ve been seeing how a lot of times prayer is just the starting point.

When we pray, it’s often more about an initial surrender: we’re admitting that we don’t have the answers, but we know that He does, and we’re willing to accept whatever His answer is. It seems to me lately like I’ll pray about something, and then several days or even weeks go by before I see tangible movement on the answer. Is this a bad thing? While immediately “unanswered” prayers seem off-putting, they are also relieving in that we can trust that each pray we pray is going to be answered at some point.

When we pray, we release our needs to God, and then leave them there. He will and does answer, and when He comes through, it’s always so exciting to watch the way in which He chooses to move. His ways are truly not my own ways. I guess what I’m trying to say is that today may be the day you see an answer to a prayer you’ve long given up on. It’s never too late in God’s time table. He hasn’t given up on you, so don’t give up on yourself!