How Long Does It Take God To Answer Prayers?
“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Luke 11:9, 10
How long does it take for God to answer prayers? The answer is, “It depends.”
God can answer prayers instantly and immediately. There is a story in II Kings 20 about King Hezekiah. The king had become sick, and God sent the prophet Isaiah to him to inform him to put his affairs in order. “Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover” (II Kings 20:1). Hezekiah was understandably upset. When Isaiah left, the king cried out to God, “Now, O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” The Bible says that Hezekiah wept before the Lord. Before Isaiah had gotten completely out of the building, God spoke to him. He told him to return to Hezekiah and declare to him that his prayer had been heard. God would add to Hezekiah’s life fifteen years. God also promised Hezekiah that he would deliver the nation from the Assyrians and be with the people.
There are certain prayers that God always answers immediately. One is, “Lord, forgive me.” God’s forgiveness is immediate upon our true repentance. Jesus said to the thief on the cross, “Today, you will be with me in Paradise.” This does not mean that our life situation will immediately change. It may take time for God to restore our emotions, relationships, and circumstances to health. But it only takes an instant to turn to God and find his forgiveness. The same might be said about a prayer of surrender. God immediately accepts the surrender of our heart to him. Jesus prayed, “Not my will but yours be done.” This was a prayer the Father immediately heard and answered.
Other prayers are not answered immediately. This might simply mean that, from our point of view, the answer takes a while to appear. Zechariah and Elizabeth prayed for a child. God answered their prayer, but it would take a long time before he did so (Luke 1:5-25). It took so long that Zechariah could not believe it when the angel told him about it. Did God wait to answer the prayer, or did God answer the prayer immediately but determine that its fulfillment would not be for many years? There are many instances such as this in the Bible that encourage us to keep praying, even when the answer does not immediately appear.
The man at the pool of Bethesda, in John, chapter 5, fits into this category. He had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. It is difficult to imagine how challenging this would have been. For thirty-eight years, he had been disconnected from worship and ordinary life because of his disability. He spent his days with other invalids hoping to be healed. We can feel sure he had prayed for his healing for many years, especially at first. Perhaps by the time he met Jesus he had given up. But God had a wonderful surprise for him. God had indeed heard his prayers. The answer simply awaited the appearance of Jesus. God did not heal him by the stirring of the waters but provided a better way. God healed him through the word of Jesus that called him not only to health, but faith and new life.
All this reminds us to pray and not give up. God hears prayer and answers. Even when he does not appear to be present, he is nevertheless at work.