Start Over: Help and Hope for Your New BeginningSample

Does anyone else get frustrated when their prayers don’t get immediately answered?

Me too.

My prayers are desperate when I’m starting over because I don’t want to repeat the pain of the past and I don’t want to deal with any more regret in the future. I long for God to move powerfully in this present moment as I begin again.

Truthfully, I’m coming to God with an ASAP attitude - “God, please give me what I want as soon as possible. This is important and it’s super urgent!” But, like you, I often find my prayers taking longer to be fulfilled than I want.

It’s this struggle that author Mark Batterson speaks about in a way that convicted me.

“I don’t want easy answers or quick answers because I tend to mishandle the blessings that come too easily or too quickly. I take the credit or take them for granted. So now I pray that it will take long enough and be hard enough for God to receive all of the glory. Change your prayer approach from ‘as soon as possible’ to ‘as long as it takes.’”

Perhaps this is why the Bible reminds us to pray in an enduring way.

In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul tells his brothers and sisters to pray continually.

In Luke 18, Jesus tells His followers to pray always and never give up.

In Psalm 116, David speaks about his persistent prayers resulting from God bending to listen to him.

I wonder what would happen if we followed Batterson’s counsel and switched our prayer approach from “as soon as possible” to “as long as it takes.” What would it look like if we did what Jesus said and refused to give up in prayer?

We’d probably be more patient and persistent. We would have different expectations and be slower to get frustrated. We’d get comfortable waiting!

Sure, we’d all like our prayers answered ASAP. That would be easier, simpler, and cleaner. But what if what we need takes longer to happen? What if we have some growing, and transforming to do ourselves in the meantime? I think some of my prayers have been answered very slowly because I had to change and become the kind of person who was ready for those outcomes to happen.

Is it possible God needs to prepare you to become the kind of person who can receive the thing you’re praying for and longing to see happen?

Like the legend of the man who stopped digging just before he found the gold he’d been promised was in that very location, many of us give up praying before we experience a breakthrough or a blessing.

As you start over, I want to encourage you to start praying and keep praying. Shift your attitude from ASAP (as soon as possible) to ALAIT (as long as it takes). If Paul was correct when he said God is capable of more than we can ask or imagine, then what God has for us is worth the wait. While we’re waiting, God is always working.

Whether you’re starting over in life or setting goals for a new year, I pray that the last five days have been an encouragement to you.

If you enjoyed this reading plan, you’ll love my guide on overcoming the temptation to quit. Click here to get complementary access to it: Don’t Give Up When It’s Time to Change: 10 Things You Need to Hear When You’re Ready to Quit.