This Is Why Prayers Aren’t Answered Instantly
—By Mark W. Pfeifer
When we read the Bible, we are trying to interpret organic truths while living in a mechanical world.
We flip a switch and lights come on…
…and don’t know what it’s like to fill a lamp with oil, trim the wick, light it carefully, and carry it from room to room to see.
We punch numbers on a thermostat…
…and don’t know how to gather kindling, stack it properly, create a spark, and build a fire for warmth.
We buy groceries at the supermarket…
…and don’t know how to grow and preserve our own food for winter.
We drive a car…
…and don’t know how to stable an animal and harness it for work and transportation.
We talk on a phone…
…and don’t know how to write letters and wait patiently for days and weeks for a reply.
We engross ourselves with screentime…
…and have forgotten how to have personal connection.
We post our opinions on social media…
…and have lost the ability to have deep conversation from which truth arises from differing opinions and points of view.
This all became clear to me this morning when I was reading the story of the boy whose father asked the disciples to heal him in Matthew 17. They failed! When they asked Jesus why they failed, He said to them in V-20, “Because of your unbelief.”
I stopped there and began asking God if my prayers for people often go unanswered because of my unbelief? The first answer I got was YES! But then I couldn’t tell if that was God or just me condemning myself for not being able to muster the power to heal people like I wish.
Then I read the rest of the verse and began thinking some other thoughts. It says, “…for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”
That’s when I stopped and pondered what Jesus was saying. Faith overcomes unbelief like a seed overcomes obstacles to bear fruit. It’s hard for us to understand this (and other spiritual truths Jesus taught) because He was speaking from an organic world while we are comprehending from a mechanical world.
We are used to magic tricks and quick fixes. We have instant communication with people around the world in real time. And if someone doesn’t answer our text immediately or call us back within a day, we wonder why.
If people back then could see our lights and TV’s and cell phones and airplanes, they wouldn’t know what to think. They couldn’t possibly process what they were seeing. It would all look magic to them.
Theirs was a world much different than ours. Things were slower. It took time to build houses, travel to other places, communicate with family, grow food, send letters, make clothing…
…and grow your faith!
So, when Christ talks about overcoming unbelief by strengthening our faith, He compares it to a mustard seed.
It’s not a light switch.
It’s not a text message.
It’s not a thermostat.
Building up our faith takes time and effort. Keep pushing forward. Keep praying. Keep reading the Word. Keep worshipping Jesus. Stay connected to your spiritual family. Keep asking, seeking, and knocking.
In the process, your faith will grow over time and squeeze out the doubt and unbelief that still resides in our hearts and minds like it did the disciples of Jesus.