I ran a lot of errands today. Lately when I've been in the car I've been listening to Moody Radio. If I'm in the car in the afternoon I listen to Chris Fabry Live and In the Market with Janet Parshall. Today those programs were somewhat preempted for coverage of the National Day of Prayer from Washington, D.C.
I didn't catch the name of this particular speaker, but I was really struck by what he said. Concerning prayer, he stated that we tend to ask God to answer our prayers ASAP. We're praying for good things -- justice, fairness, liberty, unity, peace -- so why shouldn't the Lord want to grant our petitions quickly? But the speaker encouraged believers to adopt a different attitude regarding prayer and God's answer to prayer.
Instead of ASAP, this man said we should approach God in prayer with the perspective of ALAT -- As Long As it Takes.
Our human nature is selfish; we want our own way and, especially in the United States, we don't want to wait to get what we want. But God's timeline can be very different than ours. While we see a tiny part of the overall picture in any given situation, God sees the entire big picture. He is able to see not only the immediate consequences for today, but also the ramifications years ahead for future generations.
I am thankful for the counsel to trust God and willingly submit my concerns and desires to His perfect timeline. Instead of impatiently beseeching or, even worse, demanding that God answer my prayers ASAP, I am hoping that He will grant me the wisdom and grace to pray with an eternal perspective in accordance with His Word and His will.
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