Does it ever feel like God just isn't listening to you or that He doesn't hear you? Does it ever feel like your prayers are just hitting the ceiling and coming right back down? Does it feel like your cries are just getting lost in space? There's a reason for that and here's why: maybe God is just saying "not yet" or maybe He's saying "no" altogether.
When I was a kid, I would often dream about what I wanted my future life to look like. I was going to be the next Michael Jordan (or Kobe Bryant if you're from my generation). I was going to make it big, marry the prettiest girl, drive the best cars, and end up becoming the best basketball player ever. I was going to have a great life. 8-year-old David would be so upset that 20-year-old David is just working at a church with students who pick on him, addicted to rock climbing and Whataburger and falling in love with Christ daily. Thankfully 8-year-old David didn't know where true joy comes from. When I was younger I would pray to be the best athlete ever. I wanted it badly. To my fortune, God didn't call me to be an athlete. Therefore, that door shut so I went to the next one and so on and so forth. Eventually, I grew tired of trying under my own power and decided to turn to where I should have been all along, right in the middle of where God wanted me to be. I went to all these doors to find my joy when I should have just turned to God.
I believe that there's no such thing as an unanswered prayer. The hardest answer for me is "not yet". I like to have everything immediately if not sooner. Pray for me. My patience is lackluster. I remember asking God to bring me from my struggles because it wasn't how I had envisioned my life but my prayers seemed to not be reaching Him. This was Him saying "not yet". I was learning something very important. There have been multiple examples of this but most recently I remember praying that I would be able to go to Texas a couple weeks ago to attend a climbing competition but God said "not yet." I'm not ready yet and that's tough if we're being honest. I wanted to go and show how far I've come but God knows better than me that I'm not ready.
Maybe you're like me and the hardest answer for you is "not yet." If it feels like the door you want to open just isn't opening, praise Him in the hallway. If it feels like Jesus is sleeping in the boat in the middle of your storm, maybe you ought to be sleeping as well. Much love and God bless.
