Sometimes God's Answer Comes Quickly

PresbyCan Daily Devotional

James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (ESV)
In my experience, the Lord usually takes His time in answering prayers. Sometimes, we receive the answers that we are looking for, but sometimes, the answer is not what we expected. His answer might be Yes, No, Wait, or "I have something better in mind!"
Recently, I had a message on my phone from a cousin whose cat had just died. She wanted to know if she had prayed in the wrong way by asking God to heal her cat of diabetes. Her prayer was not answered. Did her prayer cause him to die? I called her back and assured her that her prayer was absolutely genuine and right.
During our conversation, she suggested that she would like to see a Christian counsellor. I promised that I would see what I could do and get back to her later in the week. We live seven hours apart, and I did not know of anyone I could refer her to.
The next morning, I sat down at my desk and said to the Lord, "Help me begin to find someone to help my cousin." I then forgot about it and went on with my morning duties. One hour later, I checked my emails and noticed one from someone whom I did not recognize. It was from a Christian counselling service in a nearby city. The person who sent it said that this was being sent to me in case I knew of anyone who could make use of their counselling services.
With tears in my eyes, I thanked the Lord for giving me the wisdom that I needed in order to bring assistance to my cousin. I emailed the person back explaining that their outreach to me was a direct answer to prayer and told them about my cousin. He said that they could refer my cousin to a therapist closer to where she lived.
I called my cousin and shared this with her. She was overcome with gladness and was so thankful that God had answered our prayers so quickly.
Have you ever had an almost immediate answer to prayer? They are miracles, and we never forget them. The next time you pray, who knows, you may receive an answer almost before it is off your lips. A friend of mine often says, "God is seldom early but never late." Let us thank Him that His timing is perfect.
What a friend we have in Jesus!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for answering our prayers, whether over time or immediately. We leave our cares and concerns in Your loving arms. Amen.