A Prayer for When God’s Timing Doesn’t Make Sense
By Rachel Britton
Bible Reading:
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14
Listen or Read Below:
Most of us like the path to whatever we are doing to be direct and short. We get frustrated with waiting or having to go out of our way, especially when it doesn’t make sense.
Maybe you are praying over and applying for one job after another at the moment and seeing no way forward. Perhaps you have supported a friend or family member for a long time and are wondering when God will bring relief. Or perhaps you are walking through a season that seems uncertain, exhausting, and never-ending.
When God’s way is not as direct or quick as we want, we can become disillusioned and disappointed with ourselves and with God.
However, the Bible encourages us to trust God and His timing. This might be easy to do when life is straightforward. But when life is difficult, and we don’t see a clear path ahead, our confidence in God can waver.
In Exodus, the Israelites found themselves in this kind of situation after the miraculous liberation and the initial euphoria of their release from Pharaoh in Egypt. They too became disheartened. Yet God’s ways were not a delay but divine protection and a means for them to see God’s glory.
Here are three ways to pray so we can be patient with God’s timing and learn to give Him praise:
1. Pray to trust the detour
God led the Israelites “around by the desert road toward the Red Sea” (Exodus 13:18) when Pharaoh let them leave Egypt. This was not the shortest way. But God had chosen this route for their protection and well-being. He knew that if they had traveled through the land of the Philistines and faced war, they could have lost heart and run back to Egypt (Exodus 13:17).
When God’s way seems longer or less direct, we can trust the detour. He is leading us for our protection and well-being, so we don’t lose heart and retreat to what feels familiar.
2. Pray to see God at work
God was right. The people were likely to change their minds when faced with another difficult challenge. As Pharaoh and his army approached, the terrified Israelites complained to Moses that they should have stayed in Egypt. Suddenly, their slavery seemed a much safer place than their current circumstances. But Moses told them that by standing firm, they would witness God’s miraculous work (Exodus 14:10-14).
When what we face seems overwhelming and frightening, this is an opportunity to see God at work for us. He will fight for us.
3. Pray until you praise.
God’s pillar of cloud created a barrier between the Israelites and the pursuing Egyptians. God divided the waters of the Red Sea so the people could pass through. And God created confusion amongst the pursuing Egyptian army that led to their demise. No wonder the Israelites then sang: “God is my strength, God is my song, and, yes! God is my salvation. This is the kind of God I have, and I’m telling the world!”
(Exodus 15:2 MSG).
When we trust God with the detour and stand firm long enough to see Him at work, prayer slowly turns to praise. We begin to see His strength, protection, and faithfulness in ways we could not before. Pray until your heart can once again sing praise to the God who fights for you.
Let’s pray
Lord God, when the road ahead feels uncertain, long, and tiring, I am tempted to lose heart. Help me to trust Your direction for my life and Your timing for the situation I face. Remind me that even when Your ways seem longer or less direct than I would like, or don’t make sense, You are still leading me with wisdom, protection, and care. Give me the courage to stand firm when fear rises and circumstances feel overwhelming. In the midst of my day, open my eyes to see You at work in ways I might otherwise miss. Teach me to pray faithfully—to wait for You. Help me to be strong, even when I feel like quitting. I commit to waiting for You until my heart is once again filled with praise for Your majesty, grace, and faithfulness. Amen.
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Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Tinnakorn Jorruang
Related Resource: What to Do When God Seems Distant
What do we do when God no longer feels as close as He used to feel?
Many sincere believers experience seasons when prayer feels empty, Scripture feels quiet, and God seems strangely absent. For leaders especially, those seasons can feel confusing, discouraging, and even shameful.
In this episode of the Unhurried Living Podcast, Alan Fadling sits down with theologian and spiritual formation professor Kyle Strobel to discuss the new book When God Seems Distant, coauthored with John Coe. If this episode helps you recenter your work and life on God, be sure to follow Unhurried Living on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
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