If you’re waiting for God to answer a prayer, too, I trust He is teaching you something in your meantime. I’m reminded daily that God’s calendar is not my calendar. What seems like a long time to me is hardly long for an eternal God. He is never hurried nor late, never worried nor uncaring, never unaware of my concerns nor not sovereign over all of them.

When I became a believer at age 13, my pastor told me to begin praying for my parents to become believers. I followed his direction, and I started praying that God would save my mom and dad.

Frankly, God took His time.

My dad turned to Christ when he was 71—36 years after I began praying for him. God dramatically changed my dad (so much so that we weren’t always sure he was the same person!), but it still took more than three decades for God to answer my prayer.

My mom took even longer. Eleven years after God saved my dad, my mom turned to Christ at age 79. She lived only six months longer, but she, too, was unbelievably different after her conversion. Still, God listened to my prayers for 47 years before He answered them.

At the time of mom’s conversion, I said more than once to others, “When God finally answers your prayers, you don’t worry about the delay anymore.” And, I still stand by that statement today. When I knew both my parents had met Jesus, it didn’t bother me that God took decades to answer my prayers. I simply praised him for what He had done in His timing.

Now that you know some of my story, you would think that I no longer get stressed when God seems to take His time in responding to my prayers. If anybody knows better by experience, I should be that person. After all, I lived what I’ve just told you.

Still, though, I struggle at times. I have an older sister and a buddy I love like a son for whom I’ve been praying 50+ years and 14+ years, respectively. Every day, I plead with God to save them.

Every day. For years. Decades even. And each day, I learn through my sometimes-weak faith more about waiting on God—and more about me.

I’m learning in my waiting that nothing I’ve done or earned can change hearts.

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