“But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.”~ Lk. 1:13
Zacharias and Elisabeth are now old; she is barren and past the natural child-bearing time in her life. For years they had prayed for a son with seemingly no answer. Now when all hope is gone, help shows up. They found it a true saying, “At the end of self, is God!”
Some prayers in the Bible are answered immediately: Peter, "Lord, save me"; other petitions soon after the request is made, like Daniel; still others are answered many years after the supplicant’s first plea.
As to the latter of this trio there are many examples in scriptures: Abraham and Sarah waited many long years for Isaac; David 15 years before becoming king; Moses’ life was kept 40 years in a holding pattern, before the promise of usefulness came to pass; Joseph was 13 years waiting for deliverance; Jacob waited 14 years for Rachel; and Jesus waited 30 years before coming on the public scene.
No time is ever wasted when waiting for God to answer your heartfelt prayers!
“[It] is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”~Hab. 2:3
an Aged Saint
Thankyou Brother Sandlin, great words of HOPE!!