TRUSTING GOD'S TIMING!!!

So I went to church last Sunday. My pastor preached a powerful message and I’ve just had this message burning in my heart. I started typing it out right after church (that's about five days ago) but something kinda held me back and it remained in my draft folder. Well, long story short, I've not been able to get it off my mind since then. So woke I up this morning and declared the devil a liar by deciding to publish this. The word of God never goes out and returns void. I know someone out here needs to hear this.

How many of us have ever been in a situation where we need something so bad, I mean like ASAP, and we pray about it and give God conditions and a time frame to answer  our request. You know the kind of prayer that goes: Oh God, if I don't get the money by next week Monday, in the morning, it would be too late. Oh God, if I don't pass that exam, with an A, I will be very disappointed. Oh God, I have to find my Mr. Right this year; the tall one with a six pack, dimples, and a six figure account with Barclays LOL!!! (Shout out to my girl Yvonne Nelson, this is a line from one of her movies 4play. You can watch it for free on http://irokotv.com/search?term=4play. Very interesting movie, btw). Yeah, a lot of us, including myself, have prayed prayers like this and most often than not, they are not answered, or sometimes they are answered, but not with our conditions or within our time frame. This is because God is God and his plans are not our plans. The Bible says before we were conceived, he knew every single detail about us. His plans for us are exceedingly, above, and beyond what we can ever ask or imagine; plans to prosper us. On the other hand, one may argue that the bible also says that he will give us anything we ask if we only ask in his name. You are right! The Bible also says all things work for good for they that love God. Nothing happens in your life by chance, even the bad ones. So why does God not answer on time, nope, at our time and with our conditions?

1) Because God wants to take glory from our situation. He is testing our faith and patience.

We all know the woman in the Bible who suffered from hemorrhage for twelve years (abi the woman try oh, small three days deh almost send me to early grave. Then twelve years? Tofi akwa! LOL). She had spent everything she had, prayed all sorts of prayers, yet her situation worsened every day. (See, Luke 8:40-50)  I wonder how it felt; I’m sure she felt like God's receiver was always on mute when she prayed. Nevertheless, she never gave up, but held unto her faith. One day she heard that Jesus was in town. There was this huge crowd around him and she could barely make it through. She managed and touched the master's garment, believing that if she only touched, she will be healed. The Bible says the flow of blood immediately seized at the touch. This woman waited twelve years for her break through, and even at the last minute, there was still a crowd hindering her from getting to her blessing. She didn't give up. Most of us will give up our faith at the last minute at the site of a crowd and fail God's test. The crowd in your life may be that exam you have taken 10 times and never passed. May be the 11th is your breakthrough moment, but because God didn't answer the 10th time, you gave up your faith and missed your blessing. It could be a series of bad relationships you've been in and you've been praying to God for a husband. Because God didn't give you that six pack guy, you give up your faith, assume "miss independent" status (amuna Ms. Independent, you know you hate being single, lol) and scare away every potential suitor, including the God sent one. Be patient, keep your faith and let God take glory from your situation. Delay is not denial.

2) Sometimes it's not God holding back, it’s our stubbornness.

God says he wants you to an engineer, you say nooooooo, you want to be a fashion wannabe designer. Your prayers are not being answered because you are not where God wants you to be. We all know the story of Jonah whom God called to preach to the people of Nineveh (See, Jonah 1 – 4). But Mr. Sense pass king (Jonah) him decide say nah runaway he want be. Hmmm talking about runway. I use to be a runaway myself Oh! I attended a boarding school in Cameroon called Saker Baptist College. My first year was horrible. Come and see cry!! I hated the place so much I attempted to run away many times. One day, I tried to run away. This one was not as silent as the others oh, the whole school came out (about one thousand girls) The discipline master wooped the hell outa me, and from that day I learned that I didn't only have to love Saker, I had to stay in Saker.  I finally stayed in Saker for five year and today, I am a proud SAKERETTE!!! (shout out to my Saker rats and cats out there, lol). So, back to Jonah. God threw him into a massive storm, tossed him in the belly of a fish (Eeeeew!! I can imagine how creepy that was) until he was willing to do what God wanted him to do. Yes, you quit engineering school to do fashion designing, yet you can't create one sensible design, you can't even sell your inventory. Five years down the line and you are still at the Facebook stage, broke as a monk. It’s not that those making it are better than you. Maybe some of your designs are better than their’s, but your's never sells. Your whole situation feels like a storm; like God has put you in the belly of a fish. Uh huh, that's exactly where you are. Just like Jonah, God may be sending a message to you, telling you this is not what I've called you to be or do. You need to seek God and ask him what your calling is.

3) We are trying to help God answer our prayer.

Hhahahahahaha (claps hands) seriously people? Me sef  I’m guilty of this one oh, no mind as I deh laf like dis, lol. So we really think we can help God? We are the perfect examples of paper tigers before God; powerless power. Ok, so you've been praying to God for your business to prosper so you can reinvest your profits and grow the business. Yea, profit has been coming in, but not as much or as fast you want it to be. So you think God is too slow and you decide to help God answer your prayer. Na e way you go take this massive loan from bank. All your profits start to go towards paying that loan. Progress was at least slow before, but now it is stagnant because there is no left over to reinvest. This situation is very similar to that of Abraham and Sarah in the Bible (See, Genesis 16). God promised them that he was going to give them a son. Year after year, no child. So, Madam Sarah lay her faith aside and decided to help God answer her prayer for a child. Na e weh she take Hagar, her maid, give am to her husband, Abraham, to chop soya with (nah wah oh, she get heart, lol). So Hagar gets pregnant and gives birth to a son, Ishmael. Sarah thought her promised son had finally arrived. Oh boy! Was she wrong? Come and see problems. Hagar started to despise her oh and Sarah became very unhappy in her home. I tell you, when God blesses you, he adds no sorrow to it. Ishmael could not have been the promised child because he brought sorrow to Sarah’s home. At the appointed time, Sarah got pregnant and gave birth to Isaac. He was the promised child. Are you helping God answer your prayer? Well, it cannot be over emphasized, S.T.O.P!!! Let him take his glory. He is a jealous God and does not share his glory with anyone. Even if he had to, it wouldn't be with sinners like us.

God is God people. Do not limit or delay his blessings for your life by giving him conditions and a time frame. His plans for your life shall come to pass, and I guarantee it wouldn't be one milli second late. Everything will fall in place like a puzzle if you just keep your faith and trust his timing.

Yeah I knooooow, this has been one hell of long post, but I’m glad it's out of my chest. I'm also so proud of myself because I’ve never shared the word of God like this. God is good!!!