You may have a lot of things going on right now, and by “going on,” I mean going wrong.
That happens sometimes. The car has problems, work has problems, family stuff gets complicated, money feels tight, and before long it feels like everything is piling up at once. When that happens, it’s natural to reach out and ask people to pray. Just today, we were praying for a friend who was sharing several different things they’re walking through, and it made me think about Romans 12:12.
That verse says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
There is so much in that one sentence. I can read “joyful in hope” and think, yes, I want that. I can read “faithful in prayer” and think, yes, I need to keep praying. But then there is that part right in the middle: “patient in affliction.”
That’s the part nobody really likes.
It’s one thing to ask God for help when life is hard. It’s another thing to be patient while He works. I want the answer, the fix, the relief, and the open door as soon as possible. But God knows me better than I know myself. He knows my heart, He knows the right timing, and He knows what needs to happen in me while I’m waiting.
That doesn’t make waiting easy, but it does remind me that waiting on the Lord is not wasted time. He can use even the delay to strengthen my faith, reshape my trust, and prepare me for what He knows is next.
Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.”
So if you’re in the middle of something hard right now, keep praying. Keep hoping. And as difficult as it may be, keep waiting on the Lord. He has not forgotten you, and He knows exactly what you need.