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Bellingshausen Research Station, King George Island, Antartica. Photo by Charles F. Stanley.
Daily Devotion

Waiting for Answers to Prayer

The Lord may delay His response to your request, but He is never late.

June 22, 2025

Psalm 33:20-22

Scripture makes it clear that our heavenly Father hears and answers prayer. But there have been times when we’ve all had to wait. What are some reasons He might delay answering us?

Our relationship with God should have priority over any earthly matter (Mark 12:30), yet our minds and prayers can become so fixed upon what we need that our gaze shifts away from Him. So the Father may be delaying His answer until we refocus our attention rightly. In other situations, God waits because the timing is not right for granting our request.

There are seasons when the Lord wants to stretch and grow our faith. One of the ways He accomplishes this is by having us watch for His response. The Spirit will work in these times of waiting to mature us and bring forth fruit (Gal. 5:22-23).

Other reasons for a delay include asking with a wrong motive (James 4:3) or engaging in sin. God may delay His answer so He can help us see the need to confess wrongdoing and turn back.

Waiting on the Lord isn’t easy—faith is needed (Heb. 11:1). If an answer seems slow in coming, make sure that your focus is on Him, your motive for asking is God-honoring, and you aren’t practicing habitual sin. Then believe that God’s response will be for your good and His glory.

Bible in One Year: Psalms 60-66

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