1.  Have you ever felt that God wasn’t listening? Did you ever feel as though your prayers were useless?   Every believer experiences times when they feel invisible to God. Many believers claim they couldn’t believe their urgent prayer requests went unanswered. The teenager continues to use drugs. The unpaid bills keep pouring in. The breakthrough you once dreamed seems impossible. There may be times when you felt alone in your struggles. Even though it may seem like God abandoned you, the Lord will never forsake you. The Lord hears all of our prayers and answers our requests. While the solutions aren’t delivered according to our timetable, you can be assured that the creator is preparing to deliver blessings.

    As a new believer I saw God as a source of divine magic. For years I believed that if I asked according to God’s will, I would receive an abundance of blessings shortly after. If God could part the red sea for the children of Israel he could perform miracles in my own circumstances. My search for a better paying job could end tomorrow. My car problems could end at least until I started earning more money. I kept praying for a financial breakthrough only to be battling more financial struggles. I couldn’t understand why God ignored my pleas for financial stability.

    The Holy Spirit showed me that Almighty God cared deeply about my needs. God is in the business of working miracles, but they aren’t guaranteed overnight delivery. I read the passage in Exodus more carefully and saw how God works in steps. God saw how his children were forced into slavery in Egypt. God watched as the Israelites endured hard physical labor and beatings. God heard the cries of the oppressed, but he didn’t rescue them right away. God had to find a strong leader to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. After anointing Moses, God had to soften the Pharaoh’s heart to free the Israelites. Plagues came across the land threatening the crops and water of the Egyptians. After ignoring the series of plagues, God took the lives of the Egyptian’s firstborn children. The catastrophic series of events were needed to change the pharaoh’s heart.

    Your prayers might appear unanswered simply because God is laying the foundation to work his magic. We can’t always see how God is working behind the scenes of our life. The Lord might be influencing a loved one to start making better choices. Maybe you haven’t received that promotion yet, but God could be in the midst of creating a way for you to receive a promotion. God could be bringing more business to your employer so more job promotions can take place. We can’t always see how the creator of the universe is working the small details in our lives. We can be assured that the creator is working around the clock to meet our needs and grant us the desires of our heart.

    Often times when our prayers go unanswered it’s because God is still at work. The Israelites couldn’t leave Egypt without a strong leader. The series of events were necessary for the pharaoh to allow them to leave. When you feel as though God abandoned you, have faith and remain patient. God may work in small steps, but when the victory comes you’ll know he was there.

                                                         References

    Tyndale House Publishers (2005). Life application study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI:

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