25/05/2026
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
BY REV. DR. ALFRED OFOSU-ASANTE
MONDAY, 25TH MAY, 2026
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*WHEN YOU THINK GOD IS DELAYING*
"How long will thou forget me, O LORD? forever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?"
How long shall I take Counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?"
(Psalm 13:1-2)
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Sometimes we feel like God does not hear prayer when we do not receive the expected answer from Him. Sometimes too, we think that God is delaying in answering our prayers. Whichever way we look at it, the truth is that God answers every prayer of ours. He may immediately answer our prayer - it is a "yes" answer because it aligns with His divine will for us. Sometimes the answer is "no", and other times it is a "wait" answer.
In Psalm 13 it is clear that the Psalmist felt that God was delaying in answering his prayer. David cries out to God: "How long will thou forget me, O LORD? forever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?"
It is human to sometimes feel this way as David did. However, when you feel like God is delaying, it is important to remember that a delay is not a denial. Instead of thinking that the season of waiting is wasted time, we must consider it as God's strategic pauses for preparation, protection, and perfecting our character, and learning to wait upon Him. Waiting on God is very rewarding (Isaiah 40:31). When you feel like God is delaying, be encouraged by Psalm 62:5-8.
Navigating these quiet or prolonged seasons of life when you do not feel God's presence or hear His voice, can be deeply challenging, but you can find comfort and strength through these seasons of silence, knowing that He has promised never to leave or forsake us. He is the God who hears the prayer of His people (Psalm 65:2)
Beloved, God's delays are not His denials, and understanding this is very helpful whilst we wait for Him to act on our behalf. Possible reasons for delays are as follows:
*1.* When God delays, it is because He is preparing you for the very blessing you are praying for, or positioning the right people in your path, at the right time. This might be true in the life experience of Joseph. Timing is of great essence with God's dealing with us, and His timing is always the best. He is never late or early, He is always on time.
*2.* When God delays or withholds something now, He might be keeping you from harm, or preventing you from receiving something before you are ready to handle it. God promised the Israelites a land and showed them the boundaries, but He did not allow them take full possession immediately. God's reason for delaying a complete possession is found in Exodus 23:29-30
"I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.
By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land".
*3.* When God delays, it is because His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). God’s timing is fundamentally about divine purpose rather than human convenience or immediate enjoyment. What feels like lateness or delay, is often patience and a desire to bring about the very best outcome. God waits and acts at the perfect time.
Beloved, when you feel like God is delaying; refocus on your purpose and use the waiting season to grow in patience and deepen your faith, trusting that God's plans are good, even when you cannot see the immediate path or hear His voice. Remember always that God's delays are not His denials. Shalom.
*OUR PRAYER*
_Lord, teach me to be patient as I wait on you to fulfill Your divine purpose for my life. Amen._