Desperate Prayers

If we've ever needed You
Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now
We are desperate for Your hand
We're reaching out, we're reaching out…
(lyrics by Casting Crowns)

When we cry out in desperation, I believe that God hears us. I just don’t know why He takes so long to come and take care of things. Maybe He’s already working out the solution, but it’s a long term project.

If our house is leaking, we always hope for a quick and easy fix. But if a contractor says it’s going to be a long, disruptive, costly project, our heart sinks. We might call a different contractor hoping for a solution that seems better to us. Or we might come up with a short-term solution like putting a bucket under the leak and adjusting to living that way.

Some problems cannot be fixed quickly and painlessly. If our prayers are not immediately answered, we might decide to place our hope in something other than God. We might go to our family or friends. We might decide we need some form of distraction. Or we may rely on experts who have solved similar problems for others. In our desperation, it is easy to misplace our faith.

There is only one permanent solution.  Allow the Holy Spirit to take over.

We have to admit that we are powerless, that every solution we come up with on our own is just a short-term fix. We have to allow God to take over our minds, our bodies, our words, our situation, and everyone else that is involved in the crisis. Then we wait. We rest. We listen for instructions. Sometimes there are no instructions, because the situation has to be completely taken care of by God. So we wait.

“Waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy. Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God.” (Romans 8:22-28 MSG)