Recognize That Delays For Help Are Not Denials

We've all experienced moments when we sent desperate prayers up to the heavens, seeking help. Whether for our own personal struggles or for a loved one facing illness, we poured our hearts into these sincere petitions. Yet, despite our good intentions, those prayers went unanswered—or at least we thought they were.
Sometimes, what appears to be a denial is actually just a delay in God's plan. A family that exemplifies this profound and at times confusing experience of faith and adversity is Martha and Mary, whose brother was terminally ill.

John 11:1-6 says, “Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ 4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’ 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.”

In these verses and those that follow, we learn that Lazarus was gravely ill and ultimately succumbed to his illness. We also see that Jesus had a special relationship with Lazarus's family; however, he did not rush to see Lazarus before Lazarus's passing.  The sisters were disappointed, not necessarily in Jesus for delaying His arrival, as He would eventually make it to Bethany in Judea. Their disappointment stemmed from the belief that if the Lord had been there within their perceived timeframe before Lazarus's death, He could have healed him.

In our experience, we too have asked the Lord to come into our troublesome circumstances or tragedies, yet haven't seen a change or a miracle.  Does that mean God has denied your request?  Is heaven no longer taking your calls?  Absolutely not!  Like the story of Lazarus, God's plans are not limited to temporary illness, death, or even this lifetime.

Take hope in knowing that God is not finished with you or your prayers. Asking for a loved one to be healed or trying to make sense of death in your family does not indicate a lack of faith; it simply shows that we can only see so much from our perspective on this side of heaven.

In the meantime, instead of criticizing yourself or turning away from your faith due to perceived denials of your requests, consider the following criteria for how God answers prayers:

"God always answers every prayer:
If the request isn’t right, His answer is no.
If the timing isn’t right, His answer is slow.
If you aren’t right, His answer is grow.
And when everything is ready and right, His answer is go!"

May you experience the same love and miraculous breakthrough that Martha and Mary received from the Lord Jesus in your times of great need.